FTC Sues Deere Over Farm-Equipment Repair Restrictions

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued Deere & Co on Wednesday for allegedly monopolizing the repair market for its farm equipment by forcing farmers to use authorized dealers, driving up costs and causing service delays. The lawsuit, joined by Illinois and Minnesota, claims Deere maintains complete control over equipment repairs by restricting access to essential software to its dealer network. The action seeks to make repair tools available to equipment owners and independent mechanics. FTC Chair Lina Khan said repair restrictions can be "devastating for farmers" who depend on timely repairs during harvest.

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