Farmers can no longer buy John Deere tractors.

[Cutlass]

It seems that Deere, the largest manufacturer of farming tractors and machines, has unilaterally decided that it no longer sells them. Were they losing money? Are they going out of business? Are they planning on no longer building them? Or even building fewer of them? No. No. No. And no.

Instead, what is happening is that their plan is to sell the use of their machines, while retaining the ownership.

In a particularly spectacular display of corporate delusion, John Deere—the world’s largest agricultural machinery maker —told the Copyright Office that farmers don’t own their tractors. Because computer code snakes through the DNA of modern tractors, farmers receive “an implied license for the life of the vehicle to operate the vehicle.”

It’s John Deere’s tractor, folks. You’re just driving it.

http://www.wired.com/2015/04/dmca-ownership-john-deere/

 

[Senethro]

The firmware of tractors is going to get so pirated.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Can I download an illegal tractor for my farm at PirateBay?

 

[warpus]

The image just to the right of the article is pretty much my reaction when I read what they are proposing.

Spoiler :

 

[Zkribbler]

On the other hand, the John Deere website is still offering to sell tractors.

 

[Zelig]

Obvious solution: Purchase tractors from company that is not John Deere.

 

[Sonereal]

You wouldn't download a tractor!

 

[gay_Aleks]

Indeed; the more economical solution would be to steal it and sell it for scrap.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

That's news. The only thing standing between me and building a tractor is the software. Here I was thinking that my kitchen stove wasn't going to be adequate to forge the necessary steel.

 

[Senethro]

Tractors as a service.

Would they perform continual maintenance and upgrades? Same day repairs or provision of a courtesy tractor? Purchase an annual license on 1 tractor and get free rental of a second for your busiest month?

Tractors don't seem well suited to exciting new business models.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

You wouldn't download a tractor!

I would if I could.

 

[thecrazyscot]

Does John Deere tractors also have to be repaired at a certified John Deere mechanic otherwise the warranty is void?

 

[Borachio]

So, let me get this right: a farmer leases his tractor off a finance company, and it turns out that finance company doesn't actually own the tractor any more?

Is this is a good or bad thing?

Or maybe the farmer is so wealthy he can afford to buy his tractor outright. How much are they again? $120,000? (It's a guess!)

That's just one piece of farm machinery. And I'm to feel concerned about this guy?

Still, I don't know. What's the second hand status of this programming code? John Deere maintain ownership of it through resale, I expect.

 

[Phrossack]

That's it, I think we've used up all the spells we know to summon Farm Boy. Where is he?

 

[really]

Tractors as a service.

Would they perform continual maintenance and upgrades? Same day repairs or provision of a courtesy tractor? Purchase an annual license on 1 tractor and get free rental of a second for your busiest month?

Tractors don't seem well suited to exciting new business models.

Individual ownership of a new tractor might be outdated. Why tie up $100k's of your capital in something that might be sitting around a yard doing nothing most of the time?

Lease it based on hours and use those hours as you need. Subcontract the driving too to increase productivity.

 

[Borachio]

It depends on how much capital you have. It makes more sense to buy the thing outright, or even buy second-hand than it does to lease it. A combine is another matter, of course, but a tractor is in use all year round.

Er... I'll have dat one!

 

[Farm Boy]

That's it, I think we've used up all the spells we know to summon Farm Boy. Where is he?

It's spring. But it's cold and wet today. To the question: driving John Deere tractors way too old to have this issue. I still steer with my eyes and not with space, just like the shoddy little plebeian my people have always been.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Reading the article, it seems to be about the freedom to modify the software on the tractor. What are they going to do if you do modify it? No more servicing? Confiscate the tractor? Bar you from future purchases?

 

[LucyDuke]

Because computer code snakes through the DNA of modern tractors,

What the f does that even mean.

 

[civvver]

This actually isn't far off from a lot of software licensing agreements. Look at like EA or Disney license agreements. You are basically leasing the software.

I don't really know if it matters though. You still have rights as a consumer. John Deere can't like come repossess your tractor cus they arbitrarily decide hey! your lease is up! And saying an implied license for the life of the vehicle means in practice it's your vehicle right? I don't really see any distinction except that they are shifting to a software-like license.