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I like to play devil's advocate... Imagine this - a sprayer stops working for any reason. Farmer purchases a non-oem electronics replacement part, but that par

I like to play devil's advocate... Imagine this - a sprayer stops working for any reason. Farmer purchases a non-oem electronics replacement part, but that part used a counterfeit FTDI usb controller but it silently fails. Now, the signal to turn off the sprayer when it approaches a waterway, or a school doesn't happen like it should. Obviously, the replacement part maker should take all the blame. But do you think the media is going to wait for an investigation as to why it didn't turn off, or are they going to roll footage of the gigantic green tractor and the sprayer it is towing? What if the replacement part doesn't properly sense that an access cover is open and ergo it doesn't fail safely and crushes the farmers arm and ultimately kills him? What if a bug in the software causes this error to only happen on one day or the year, or only when it is between 4:30 and 5:00? You can bet your ass that JD is testing the ever loving hell out of their parts, but is the replacement manufacturer? This isn't a physical device like a bearing that requires dimensional accuracy, or proper loading capacity. It is so, so, so much more complicated than that. How would you feel if self driving cars on the road had sensors that weren't properly vetted by their manufacturer. It isn't just the driver that is put in danger, it is everyone around them. The same goes for a sprayer and waterways.

sounds 7y ago
Deere already disclaims all liability for the use of their equipment. Farmers already know they are left standing alone if they have any sort of issue like the one you described. Without this crucial right to repair, the farmer would have to take the insane step of relying on John Deere to implicate John Deere in the case of a lawsuit. John Deere Repairman: "Oh, no, Mr. Farmer, our equipment functioned flawlessly." Farmer: "But it suddenly started spraying poison at the school, automatically." John Deere Repairman: "My computer terminal shows that it received a direct command from Mr. Farmer. I rest my case."

sounds 7y ago

Deere already disclaims all liability for the use of their equipment. Farmers already know they are left standing alone if they have any sort of issue like the one you described. Without this crucial right to repair, the farmer would have to take the insane step of relying on John Deere to implicate John Deere in the case of a lawsuit. John Deere Repairman: "Oh, no, Mr. Farmer, our equipment functioned flawlessly." Farmer: "But it suddenly started spraying poison at the school, automatically." John Deere Repairman: "My computer terminal shows that it received a direct command from Mr. Farmer. I rest my case."