For some time now original equipment manufacturers have denied farmers the right to repair their own machinery. John Deere and the American Farm Bureau developed a memorandum of understanding, earlier this year to change that.
This is a major shift for the agriculture sector, where Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in both Canada and the United States have restricted farmers’ ability to access the technology embedded in their products, including diagnostic and repair codes and service manuals.
While this is not a free for all, there is an understanding that John Deere’s intellectual property must be preserved. US farmers can also be assured that emergency repairs in the field, in a timely manner, on their John Deere equipment won’t end up in prosecution.
The new MOU signed by John Deere and the American Farm Bureau also has the potential to serve as a model for other manufacturers and in other jurisdictions like Canada and hopefully soon.
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