Anti-paywall link: https://www.wired.com/story/ftc-sues-john-deere-over-repairability/
Today the US Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against farming equipment manufacturer Deere & Company—makers of the iconic green John Deere tractors, harvesters, and mowers—citing its longtime reluctance to keep its customers from fixing their own machines.
“Farmers rely on their agricultural equipment to earn a living and feed their families,” FTC chair Lina Khan wrote in a statement alongside the full complaint. “Unfair repair restrictions can mean farmers face unnecessary delays during tight planting and harvest windows.”
I expect the new FTC chair will toss this when they get into office, but I guess we’ll have to see how things play out
probably. diaperking don’t care about the farmer vote, but the big companies can still cut checks.