John Deere Didn’t Lose the Right-to-Repair War. They Just Changed the Battlefield.
The FTC settlement forcing John Deere to allow right-to-repair is being hailed as a massive win for farmers. It’s not. It’s a calculated, preemptive move to avoid harsher federal legislation. While headlines celebrate, Deere still controls the proprietary software and dealer incentives that keep high-margin service revenue locked down.