John Deere Facing Antitrust Lawsuit Over Tractor Repair Market

Agricultural equipment giant Deere & Co. was hit with federal antitrust claims Wednesday 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.

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.

Deere “has deliberately made this necessary software unavailable” to head off competition in the lucrative repair market, which is “three ...