The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a historic agreement with John Deere, the agricultural machinery giant, which obliges the company to allow farmers and independent workshops to repair their own tractors and harvesters. Until now, owners had no choice but to go through official dealers for any repair, because John Deere refused to share the diagnostic software needed to fix the machines. This agreement puts an end to years of complaints and lawsuits from the agricultural sector.
And why does this matter to those of us who aren’t farmers? Because the “right to repair” (or right to repair) is a movement that affects many tech products we use every day: phones, laptops, smart appliances… The idea is simple: when you buy a device, you should be able to repair it yourself or take it to any workshop, without the manufacturer forcing you to use its official services or putting obstacles in your way with closed software. What the FTC has achieved with John Deere sets an important precedent that could extend to other sectors, such as consumer electronics.
In practice, John Deere will have to make available to farmers and independent workshops the same diagnostic and repair tools that until now only its dealers used. In addition, it will not be able to retaliate against those who choose to repair on their own. The company will pay one million dollars to the five states involved in the lawsuit and will remain under supervision for the next ten years. This is not the first victory for the right to repair this year: back in April, John Deere reached an extrajudicial settlement of 99 million dollars with farmers. The question now is: will this be the push the right to repair needs to also reach our smartphones and laptops?
— Marta, for inteligencia intermitente.
