Weather Futures Markets Quotes Charts Options Portfolio Markets Page Headline News DTN Ag Headlines
 
- DTN Headline News
Court Sides With Farmers Against Deere
By Todd Neeley
Monday, November 27, 2023 3:26PM CST

LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) -- Antitrust lawsuits filed by more than 17 farmers across the country against John Deere will be allowed to continue after a federal court in Illinois on Monday denied a company motion that would have ended the case.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Northern Illinois denied a Deere motion to issue a ruling in an ongoing right-to-repair antitrust case based on the pleadings in the case. The lawsuits allege the company monopolized the repair-service market for John Deere brand agricultural equipment with onboard central computers known as engine control units or ECUs.

John Deere essentially asked the court to rule on the facts already presented before a trial could be held.

In its motion filed in December 2022, Deere alleged the farmer plaintiffs lack legal standing to sue, fail to identify a "plausible relevant market" to base their claims, fail to "plausibly allege" Deere has monopoly power in the repair-services market and fail to "plausibly allege" any "anticompetitive" conduct.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston said the farmers' complaint "alleges both constitutional and antitrust standing, relevant markets, and all the necessary requirements for each count in the complaint."

The judge said he expects the case to be a "long and expensive" process despite "this court's goal of bringing this litigation to a just, speedy and inexpensive resolution. This order is the first major step on that journey."

The lawsuits allege Deere violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and are seeking damages for paying for repairs from Deere dealers beginning on Jan. 12, 2018, to the present.

John Deere did not respond to DTN's request for comment on Monday.

"Less than an hour's drive from the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse down Illinois Route 2 between Oregon and Dixon, Illinois is the John Deere Historic Site," Johnston said in his order.

"Free of charge, visitors can learn much about John Deere, the man. The takeaway from a visit to this historic site is that John Deere was an innovative farmer and blacksmith who -- with his own hands -- fundamentally changed the agricultural industry. This multi-district litigation concerns allegations of non-competitive behavior by Deere and Co., a multi-billion-dollar international corporation. If -- and that's a big if -- the claims against Deere and Co. are meritorious, then the court assumes the man lionized at the historic site would be deeply disappointed in his namesake corporation."

Johnston said the farmers' complaint meets all the legal requirements for antitrust litigation.

"The complaint contains allegations showing that Deere has monopoly power -- which exists because of Deere's lack of forthrightness and/or the lack of consumer information to calculate life-cycle costs -- in the relevant aftermarket," the ruling said.

"No other competitors exist, which is monopoly power. And Deere's alleged conduct excludes competitors at the cost of Deere's customers' choices to perform their own repairs or have a local repair shop perform the repairs, even when they could perform the repairs faster, better, and cheaper, which is anticompetitive conduct. So, the complaint alleges a monopoly and anticompetitive conduct."

Though more states are considering right-to-repair legislation there is a growing call for Congress to act on a national level.

Agriculture interest groups have been reaching agreements with equipment manufacturers, to ensure increased access of necessary diagnostic and other tools to farmers and independent repair shops.

Read more on DTN:

"Deere Seeks End to Right-to-Repair Case," https://www.dtnpf.com/….

"Who Should Fix Ag Equipment Emissions?," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com.

Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DTNeeley.


blog iconDTN Blogs & Forums
DTN Market Matters Blog
Editorial Staff
Friday, December 1, 2023 12:55PM CST
Friday, November 24, 2023 10:05AM CST
Monday, November 20, 2023 11:42AM CST
Fundamentally Speaking
Joel Karlin
DTN Contributing Analyst
Friday, December 1, 2023 4:50AM CST
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 10:46AM CST
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 10:46AM CST
DTN Ag Weather Forum
Bryce Anderson
DTN Ag Meteorologist and DTN Analyst
Thursday, November 30, 2023 2:46PM CST
Thursday, November 30, 2023 2:46PM CST
Thursday, November 30, 2023 2:41PM CST
DTN Production Blog
Pam Smith
Crops Technology Editor
Sunday, November 26, 2023 5:00AM CST
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 12:38PM CST
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 12:38PM CST
Harrington's Sort & Cull
John Harrington
DTN Livestock Analyst
Monday, November 27, 2023 8:41AM CST
Monday, November 20, 2023 8:23AM CST
Monday, November 13, 2023 8:36AM CST
South America Calling
Editorial Staff
Thursday, October 26, 2023 1:03PM CST
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 10:19AM CST
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 10:19AM CST
An Urban’s Rural View
Urban Lehner
Editor Emeritus
Friday, December 1, 2023 2:53PM CST
Tuesday, November 21, 2023 12:11PM CST
Monday, November 13, 2023 9:31AM CST
Machinery Chatter
Dan Miller
Progressive Farmer Senior Editor
Saturday, December 2, 2023 5:00AM CST
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 3:57PM CST
Thursday, September 28, 2023 6:43PM CST
Canadian Markets
Cliff Jamieson
Canadian Grains Analyst
Friday, December 1, 2023 1:27PM CST
Thursday, November 30, 2023 2:28PM CST
Thursday, November 30, 2023 2:28PM CST
Editor’s Notebook
Greg D. Horstmeier
DTN Editor-in-Chief
Friday, December 1, 2023 5:14PM CST
Friday, December 1, 2023 5:14PM CST
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 3:07PM CST
 
Copyright DTN. All rights reserved. Disclaimer.
Powered By DTN