A group of 12 farm labor and repair advocacy organizations recently filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), claiming that Deere & Co. is unlawfully refusing to provide the software and technical data necessary for customers independent service operations to repair its machinery outside its dealer organization. The group includes Digital Right to Repair Coalition and iFixit, six Farmers Union organizations, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and others.

According to the complaint, Deere is deliberately restricting access to materials and information needed to service Deere equipment by customers and independent shops in violation of the Sherman Act and statutes covering unfair and deceptive trade practices. The complaint asks the FTC to intervene.

In 2018, Deere made a commitment to make repair tools, software and diagnostics available to customers and independent servicers to repair their own equipment as of January 1, 2021. The group’s FTC complaint claims that Deere has failed to do so, and claims that the only way customers can get any technical repair information is paying extra for a service called Customer Service Advisor, which still does not enable them to perform common repairs on their own. The complaint claims the service is a misrepresentation and is asking the FTC to halt the practice.

Deere’s commitment four years ago was part of a PR effort by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers to derail right-to-repair legislation that was being considered by multiple states at the time. Since then, the right-to-repair movement has gained a higher profile, and in 2021 President Biden and the FTC came out with a commitment to empower customers to be able to do more of their own repairs.

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