> Why doesn't the market handle this? > If John Deere is only willing to sell lifetime licenses to operate their vehicles, thus putting the farmer at risk in w

> Why doesn't the market handle this? > If John Deere is only willing to sell lifetime licenses to operate their vehicles, thus putting the farmer at risk in ways like you described, why do farmers still buy these "licenses"? Because John Deere has a monopoly. > Naively, they must represent some advantage (despite their shortcomings), otherwise John Deere wouldn't be able to sell these things. Yes, that is naive. If you look to capitalism to solve the problems of people at the bottom, you'll almost always be disappointed.