Deere & Co. has agreed to pay $99 million as part of a settlement that would resolve a class action lawsuit accusing the farm equipment giant of monopolizing repair services.
The Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer, which does business under the John Deere brand, has faced a handful of “right to repair” complaints over the years.
The deal announced Monday — which still needs final approval from the court — would settle a 2022 lawsuit that accused the company of withholding repair software and conspiring with authorized dealers to force farmers to use their services for repairs, when they could otherwise fix tractors and other equipment themselves or use independent alternatives.
Wow, I am nowhere near the farming field and have heard about this years ago
…for something this far-reaching, $99 mil seems awfully low
As long as it makes fundamental changes in how they handle repairs going forward, I’m kinda ok with it.
Would be nice if it hit a little harder, but all I really need from these kinds of lawsuits is precedent that they can’t lock people out of repairing their own stuff.
If JD, or anyone else CONTINUES these practices, then the penalty better be much much higher and harsher.