A federal court has ruled that John Deere can access confidential business information from competitors such as CNH Industrial, Kubota, and AGCO as part of ongoing antitrust and right-to-repair lawsuits.
The U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois decided late last week that Deere should have the same access to sensitive documents—such as pricing data, financial reports, and sales information—that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) obtained during its investigation into whether Deere has illegally monopolized the farm equipment repair market. The court said denying Deere access would be “fundamentally unfair” and noted that existing confidentiality agreements would protect against misuse.
The lawsuits allege that Deere restricted farmers and independent shops from repairing its equipment by withholding access to tools and software, specifically its Service ADVISOR repair system.
Photo Credit: John Deere Company
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