The reason why American farmers do not have the right to repair their own tractors is...

In 1998, the United States passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which aims to protect the intellectual property of software and other digital works. Tractor manufacturer John Deere also benefited because their tractors are not one. General machinery: It actually combines a variety of procedures, including guidance systems, diagnostic tools, and contact systems.

The reason why American farmers do not have the right to repair their own tractors is...

Therefore, the farmer cannot repair the tractor by himself, otherwise it is a violation of the DMCA. John Deere pointed out in 2015 that tractor buyers do not own it, they just buy the “license for the life of the tractor” to operate the tractor. Therefore, if the tractor is broken, even if the problem is slight, the buyer cannot check, test and repair it himself, but transport the tractor to the service center, which takes time and money.

However, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Nebraska are currently planning to require manufacturers to provide farmers with information on illness, services, and technology, as well as independent maintenance personnel. Nebraska's Fair Repair Bill, although not passed before the recess, has been referred to the Agricultural Committee for research, and the public is also seeking to review the bill in the next session.

In fact, there are a lot of software in the car, but in 2015 the car has been exempted from the DMCA. Farmers are dissatisfied with the “different treatment” of tractors, but others believe that if farmers can repair their own tractors, they will reduce the manufacturer's income and put pressure on them.

(Original title: The reason why American farmers do not have the right to repair their own tractors is actually the copyright protection law?)