
Minnesota Attorney General Suing John Deere
ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the Illinois Attorney General, and the Federal Trade Commission are suing Deere & Company also known as John Deere.
The lawsuit alleges that John Deere has created a monopoly on repair services for its agricultural equipment by forcing farmers to bring their equipment to authorized dealers.
Authorized John Deere dealers are the only ones who have access to the fully functional software tool known as Service ADVISOR. The suit alleges John Deere has failed to release information needed to create a fully functioning generic repair tool for independent shops like car and truck manufacturers have.
The AG's Office says Deere's repair restrictions also allow it to reap additional profits through parts sales because authorized dealers almost always use the more expensive Deere-branded parts.
Ellison is asking the court for remedies including that Deere make its fully function repair software available to independent service providers.
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