I first wrote about this in 2015. Now, in a move to avoid having to go to trial in several “right to repair” lawsuits, John Deere has finally agreed to give its US customers the right to fix their own equipment. Via the BBC:
Previously, farmers were only allowed to use authorised parts and service facilities rather than cheaper independent repair options.
Deere and Co. is one of the world’s largest makers farming equipment.
Consumer groups have for years been calling on companies to allow their customers to be able to fix everything from smartphones to tractors.
[…] Under the agreement, equipment owners and independent technicians will not be allowed to “divulge trade secrets” or “override safety features or emissions controls or to adjust Agricultural Equipment power levels.”
