FTC and Illinois, Minnesota Sue Deere Over Monopolistic Repair Practices Involving Service ADVISOR

Jan 15, 2025, 06:16 PM

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, along with the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota, has filed a lawsuit against Deere & Company, alleging that the company's practices have illegally driven up repair costs for farmers by monopolizing the repair market for its agricultural equipment. The FTC claims that Deere has restricted access to a fully functional software repair tool, known as Service ADVISOR, making it available only to its authorized dealers. This limitation forces farmers to rely on these dealers for repairs, which are more expensive and can cause delays during critical farming periods. The lawsuit aims to mandate Deere to provide farmers and independent repair providers with access to the necessary repair tools and resources, including the Service ADVISOR tool.