I made a diary 12.01.2023.00
Deere and Co. agreed. Inc., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery, agreed to allow its US customers to repair John Deere machines themselves, according to a BBC report.
PHOTO: Mitt Romney drives a John Deere tractor in Utah (GENE SWEENEY JR./Getty Images via AFP), 444
Until now, farmers could only use company-authorized parts and services rather than cheaper independent repair options. The statement of intent was signed Sunday by the American Agriculture Federation (AFBF) and Deere & Co.
For years, consumer groups have been asking companies to allow their customers to make repairs. “It addresses a long-standing problem for farmers and ranchers regarding access to tools, information and resources while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property rights and ensuring equipment safety,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall.
According to the agreement, equipment owners and independent installers cannot disclose “trade secrets,” “cannot bypass safety or harmful emissions regulation elements, or cannot modify the level of performance of agricultural equipment,” Agro Napló learned from Article 444.
Farmers are also part of the Right to Repair movement, which is lobbying manufacturers to allow customers and independent repairers to fix their appliances. In 2022, Apple has already launched a “self-service repair” system that will allow customers to replace the batteries, screens, and cameras of the latest iPhones themselves.
The UK and EU require manufacturers to supply parts for certain electronic products to independent customers and businesses. According to the Research Service of the European Parliament, “Consumers have long complained that not only do products fail faster than before, but that repairs are often very expensive and difficult to solve due to a lack of parts, sometimes impossible.”
Some US states, such as New York and Massachusetts, have adopted similar measures. In 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on the Federal Trade Commission to develop a nationwide measure to allow consumers to improve their products, particularly in the technology and agricultural sectors.
(Source: 444)
