Agricultural equipment giant Deere was hit with federal antitrust claims Wednesday, January 12, in Chicago over its alleged scheme to monopolize the repair and maintenance market by restricting access to the software that runs the onboard computers for its tractors, reported Bloomberg.
The lawsuit, filed by a farmer, alleges an illegal “tying” arrangement. It accuses the John Deere tractor maker of prohibiting its “highly consolidated” dealership network from selling “crucial” proprietary software tools to farmers or repair shops unaffiliated with the manufacturer.
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