The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and John Deere have entered a memorandum of understanding (pdf) this week that will allow farmers to repair their own tractors purchased from the equipment manufacturing company.
According to AFBF, the agreement addresses an issue that has been ongoing between farmers and the company in relation to farmers’ access to software and tools protected by intellectual property rights that prevented farmers from fixing their own equipment.
Instead, they were required to use authorized parts and service facilities.
“A piece of equipment is a major investment,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a press release. “Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs. The agreement commits John Deere to ensure farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America’s families rely on.”…