Stale antitrust fixes yield a rotten Deere deal

The FTC and five states settled a lawsuit against Deere for using monopolistic power to restrict farmer repairs, requiring the company to open repair tools and software to independent mechanics on 'fair and reasonable terms'. However, the agreement contains vague enforcement language and loopholes—including allowing Deere to potentially charge independents more than authorised dealers and delaying release of repair resources—that mirror failures in past antitrust settlements with Live Nation and Facebook. If you make repair tools, software, or diagnostic equipment for farm machinery, Deere just promised to let you sell to independents—but the deal defines 'fair and reasonable' as whatever Deere charges your customers, and they can stall your access by waiting for half their dealers to move first. You'll need to move fast and document every barrier they put in your way, because vague consent decrees fail when enforcement gets tired.