Why Is Minnesota Taking This Popular Brand to Court?

It's a name that's been around even longer than Minnesota has been a state, so why is our state now taking this familiar brand to court?

Filing a lawsuit-- or suing someone-- isn't exactly a unique experience here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. According to the Minnesota Judicial Branch, there are about 1.3 million lawsuits filed in District Courts throughout the state every year. 290 different judges are assigned to hear these cases in 104 different locations in all 87 of Minnesota's counties.

So just taking someone to court in and of itself isn't all that strange here in the North Star State. However, when the *state* of Minnesota itself decides to file a lawsuit against someone, or in this case, a business, it becomes bigger news. Which is what just happened.

ALSO INTERESTING: National Retailer Now Closing 12 Locations in Minnesota

Here in Minnesota, the Office of the Attorney General (AGO) is the entity that is involved in filing these types of lawsuits. 'The AGO provides legal representation to over 100 state agencies, boards, and commissions. The AGO also protects the public by bringing lawsuits on behalf of Minnesota residents as chief enforcer of the State’s consumer protection, antitrust, and charities laws,' the AGO website notes.

Get our free mobile app

Recently, Minnesota's AGO announced that it was joining a lawsuit filed by the state of Illinois and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against agricultural equipment manufacturer Deere & Company (Deere), also known as John Deere. The lawsuit, filed in January, alleges that Deere, which was founded back in 1837, has used 'unlawful practices that have limited the ability of farmers and independent repair providers to repair Deere equipment, forcing farmers to instead rely on Deere’s network of authorized dealers for necessary repairs,' the Minnesota AGO said.

Essentially, the lawsuit claims that John Deere, currently one of the most common manufacturers of ag equipment used in Minnesota, has made it tough for farmers to repair their own equipment or to get it repaired at a local, independent repair shop and instead forces them to use an authorized Deere dealer instead-- which can be much more expensive, the suit says.

'Deere has made it virtually impossible for farmers themselves or independent repair shops to fully repair Deere equipment, which forces farmers to rely on authorized Deere dealers, which can be more expensive, slower, and for some a long distance away from farms,' Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement.

For its part, John Deere says the lawsuit is baseless because just a day before the suit was filed in Illinois, it announced it was enacting a new policy that 'will further empower customers and independent repair technicians by, among other things, enabling them to reprogram Deere-manufactured electronic controllers,' a Deere statement said.

We'll have to see how this lawsuit plays out in court. Meanwhile, the AGO says it  'encourages Minnesota farmers, consumers, and businesses who wish to report concerns about antitrust issues to submit a report online via the Antitrust Report Form.'

Listen to Curt St. John & Samm Adams
Weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5