When a modern tractor stops working, John Deere repairs require the use of their diagnostic tools – except John Deere won’t allow anyone but their techs to use the diagnostic tools. Only John Deere can repair John Deere tractors.
This leaves farmers stuck at harvest time, potentially losing entire crops.
Repair, Reuse, Recycle is essential for environmental reasons. But corporations are holding customers hostage – and arguing that farmers do not really own their tractor but have licensed the tractor from the company. In fact, many of us may find that the software in our new cars is not owned by us – but licensed by the manufacturer.
These are powerful arguments for creating new products based on open-source concepts. Not everything has to be open source, but it is possible for vendors to build products that can be repaired. As the video notes, some car makers are now patenting parts likely to be damaged in car crashes – so that replacement parts are available only from the OEM – third party parts are then banned.
How John Deere Robs Farmers Of $4 Billion A Year
