DTN reports:
John Deere must turn over communications it had with third-party equipment and other trade associations, a federal judge ruled this week in an ongoing antitrust right-to-repair lawsuit.
John Deere will be required to share communications it had with trade associations as part of an ongoing right-to-repair lawsuit.
Deere argued in a January 2025 motion with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that a variety of communications the company had with trade associations were privileged and not required to be turned over to farmer plaintiffs.
The documents challenged by the plaintiffs in the case relate to discussions among trade association members and counsel regarding fact gathering to defend equipment design, analyzing draft language in right-to-repair position statements and other issues, according to court documents.
A group of 16 farmers sued Deere, alleging that the company violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and are seeking damages for farmers who paid for repairs from John Deere dealers beginning on Jan. 12, 2018, to the present. The farmers alleged Deere has monopolized the repair service market for its equipment with onboard central computers known as engine control units.
Attorneys for Deere said in January 2025 that the company had asserted that information shared between members of the same trade association, as well as between members of differing associations related to right-to-repair legislation, is protected from disclosure.
In addition, Deere maintained that information shared between trade associations that do not share common membership also is privileged.
The Deere communications in question include those with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association. John Deere is a member of both, according to court documents.
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