Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1546085
RIGHT TO REPAIR Two Proposed Settlements in the Deere Right to Repair Cases By: Willie Cade, Guest Columnist If you own anything with a computer chip in it, and these days that covers everything from tractors to toasters, pull up a chair. The last few months have been remarkable. John Deere is now party to not one but two proposed settlements. Please notice that word: proposed. Neither is final, and what happens next matters to everyone who owns electronically controlled equipment. The first proposed settlement comes in the class action, In re Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation (MDL No. 3030), pending in federal court in Rockford, Illinois. In April, Deere agreed to pay $99 million, plus interest, into a fund for those who paid its authorized dealers to repair large agricultural equipment on or after January 10, 2018, along with ten years of repair commitments on "fair and reasonable terms." Judge Iain D. Johnston granted preliminary approval on May 18, 2026. Preliminary is the operative word. The second proposed settlement arrived in early July, courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Under this proposed consent decree, Deere must provide equip- ment owners and independent repair providers the "equivalent" repair resources it provides its authorized dealers, including diagnostic software, fault code clearing, and the tools needed for parts pairing, for ten years under court supervision. It also forbids retaliation against anyone who dares to fix their own machine. e First Proposed Settlement: Antitrust Litigation e Second Proposed Settlement: FTC and State Attorneys General 13 IDA Universal Q3 2026 Source: Mark Stebnicki @www.pexels.com