# More Deere "Ownership" Perspective



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

From DTN...

Regards, Mike

http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do?symbolicName=/free/equipment/news/template1&product=/ag/news/equipment&vendorReference=0702DDD1&paneContentId=71707&paneParentId=70073&pagination_num=1


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

Makes the old 10,20,30 and 40 series look good, huh. Least you know you own all of those.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Agree with TJH...

Thing is, I'm of the opinion "once you buy it, it's YOURS". That includes the "software" the mfg put in it.

Now, you don't have the right to COPY the thing (or parts of it) and sell those copies for PROFIT... BUT, OTOH, if any owner of a machine wants to modify it (including its software, either by direct "hacking" or employing the services of someone proficient in such things) and/or using a "programmer" or "chip" or other aftermarket parts/code in the software, then THAT SHOULD BE THEIR RIGHT.

We ALREADY have laws to prevent 'piracy' of software and other "intellectual property" (like movies and music, software, entertainment, etc.) and we have laws regarding safety and laws about liability in case of accidents or "unsafe" modifications that cause damage to others. We don't need the "false facade" of protection against "piracy of their software and possible liability from unsafe modifications" to "protect the manufacturer" when such protections already exist...

I've seen PLENTY of pickups in the area heavily modified with huge off-road tires and lift-kits and other add-on hardware that make them intrinsically unsafe to operate on the highway, due to handling/stability issues if nothing else... OBVIOUSLY the vehicle has been "modified" in a way that the manufacturer never intended, and it's FOOLISH to think that in a lawsuit from an accident caused by such an unauthorized modification to the vehicle that the ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER would be held liable for such modifications made after the sale and delivery of the vehicle. It's the same with farm machinery-- If I remove a shield or bypass the neutral safety switch, and someone I sell the machine to gets run over cranking it up or ground up in the PTO or something, and a lawsuit ensues, the original manufacturer would be held blameless, because ORIGINALLY the equipment was sold and delivered with the shield in place and/or the safety switches installed and functional. Obviously the liability would pass to the ones making the modifications/ and/or the buyers of such modified equipment (providing they were informed of said modifications, and didn't take action to "replace" or "undo" the modification to return it to the originally intended state of operation...)

This whole argument is nothing more than a blatant attempt to prevent farmers and individuals for developing "work arounds" to expensive and/or productivity-limiting problems designed into the equipment and/or the software running it by the manufacturer-- solutions being sold and the money being made by SOMEONE ELSE but the original manufacturer, who wants to hold the buyer hostage to whatever price they want for "fixing" the problem, rather than allowing "aftermarket" solutions. I had a friend who worked in a service dealership of a major pickup manufacturer, who told me about the NUMEROUS folks who'd come in and buy a new pickup, and immediately take it to one of these "modification" places and have a lot of big off-road tires and suspension components installed, with little regard for the effects on the vehicle-- IOW, just because it "looked cool" or whatever. Then, when the driveshaft or transmission or engine or suspension of the vehicle FAILED (often spectacularly and VERY EXPENSIVELY), they would return to the dealer expecting repairs to be made UNDER WARRANTY. Of course, they were turned away, because they INVALIDATED THE WARRANTY when they made the unauthorized modifications to the vehicle that caused the problem in the first place. Therefore, the repairs were "at their own expense".

Similarly, NO manufacturer is going to honor a warranty or allow themselves to be held liable for damages caused by "unapproved modifications" to ANY piece of equipment or software installed in such equipment that they sell...

This a "solution" looking for a problem, under false pretenses...

Later! OL JR


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