After going through a major trial concerning the right to repair, we keep a close eye on right to repair issues.
Recently, the FTC sued John Deere for “unfair” practices that raised repair costs. Of particular interest to us is that the complaint alleges that Deere produced “the only fully functional software repair tool capable of performing all repairs” on its equipment. Using software “locks” to try and prevent the repair of essential equipment is at the heart of many right to repair disputes.
That said, the future of this lawsuit is uncertain due to the upcoming change in administration. It is widely anticipated that the next FTC chair will drop the suit.
