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Additional Attorneys General join John Deere suit

Three more states are suing Deere & Company arguing the company restricts farmers’ ability to repair equipment and unfairly inflates costs.

Attorneys General from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona now join the Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from Illinois and Minnesota who filed the suit a U.S. District Court in Illinois last month.

The FTC claims the only fully functional software repair tool capable of repairs on Deere equipment is Service ADVISOR and is produced and controlled by Deere and its dealerships, creating an unlawful monopoly on repair services.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says Deere drives up costs for farmers and consumers to boost its profits by illegally restricting access to necessary tools and software.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul says the case seeks to make the farming equipment repair market more competitive.

The FTC filed the lawsuit one day after John Deere announced they would support customers’ ability to maintain and repair their machines, including giving farmers and independent repair technicians access to Deere electronic controllers.