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## Overview The right-to-repair movement has achieved significant legal and regulatory momentum in 2025–2026, culminating in major settlements and legislative activity that reshape how manufacturers can restrict access to repair tools, diagnostics, and software for products they sell. ## John Deere Settlement (2026) John Deere agreed to pay $99 million in a landmark right-to-repair settlement, resolving claims that the company illegally restricted farmers' ability to repair their own equipment by locking down diagnostic software and proprietary tools. This is one of the largest right-to-repair settlements on record and signals that restrictive repair policies carry meaningful legal exposure. **Key terms reportedly include:** - Financial compensation to affected farmers - Commitments to provide repair access and diagnostic tools - Potential ongoing compliance monitoring ## Broader Legal Landscape - **FTC Activity**: The FTC has increasingly scrutinized repair restrictions as anticompetitive conduct under Section 5 of the FTC Act. - **State Legislation**: Multiple states have passed or are advancing right-to-repair statutes covering electronics, agricultural equipment, and medical devices. - **EU Regulations**: The EU's Right to Repair Directive entered into force, requiring manufacturers to provide spare parts and repair information for covered product categories. ## Strategic Implications **For attorneys:** - Class action exposure for manufacturers with aggressive repair lockdown policies is now well-established - IP licensing arguments (software access tied to hardware repair) face mounting antitrust scrutiny - Settlement structuring in right-to-repair cases will reference the Deere $99M baseline **For entrepreneurs/investors:** - Independent repair service businesses and third-party diagnostic tool companies face an improving regulatory environment - Agricultural technology and farm equipment sectors face compliance costs and business model restructuring - Consumer electronics manufacturers should audit repair restriction policies for litigation risk ## Key Actors - **John Deere**: Settled; ongoing compliance obligations likely - **Apple**: Previously settled FTC matter; expanding self-repair programs - **Medical device manufacturers**: Next likely wave of litigation targets - **iFixit, Repair.org**: Advocacy organizations driving legislative and litigation agenda ## Outlook The Deere settlement establishes a high-profile precedent that will embolden plaintiffs' attorneys to pursue similar claims against other manufacturers. Expect follow-on litigation in agricultural equipment, consumer electronics, and medical devices. Legislative codification of repair rights at the federal level remains contested but more likely than in prior years.