Penalty Amount
$1,000,000
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with the FTC and attorneys general of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, settled an antitrust lawsuit against John Deere. The settlement requires Deere to provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same repair resources previously only available to authorized dealers for 10 years, and to pay $1 million in legal costs.
Deere must make repair resources available to farmers and independent repair providers equivalent to those provided to authorized dealers, including reading/clearing fault codes, reprogramming components, restarting emissions-related shutdowns, and providing technical manuals. Deere must also instruct dealers to promote these resources, provide notices to customers and the public, submit compliance reports every 60 days initially then annually, and pay $1 million total to the plaintiff states.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with equipment manufacturers, particularly those involving repair and maintenance services. Key clauses to examine include: (1) any restrictions on the use of diagnostic software or tools, (2) provisions limiting repair to authorized dealers, (3) data sharing or licensing terms for repair-related software, (4) obligations to provide technical documentation and manuals, and (5) any non-compete or exclusivity clauses that could be challenged as anticompetitive. Additionally, customer agreements should be checked for clauses that waive the right to repair or mandate use of specific repair providers.
Entity
Deere & Company
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/07/08_John-Deere.asp
50017 JohnDeere Order
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/50017_JohnDeere_Order.pdf
15 Deere.asp
https://ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/01/15_Deere.asp
Deere Complaint
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/docs/Deere_Complaint.pdf
Minnesota Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/
"Deere & Company"
"Pay $1 million total to Minnesota and the other plaintiff states for their legal costs and fees."
"antitrust lawsuit"
"Deere’s unlawful practices throttled the ability of farmers and independent repair providers to repair Deere equipment"
"Make repair resources available to farmers and independent repair providers that are equivalent to those Deere has made available only to authorized Deere dealers."
"Attorney General Ellison reached with the Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin"
This press release is about a court temporarily blocking the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance Corporation based on antitrust concerns under the Clayton Act. It is not a privacy-related enforcement action. The Minnesota Attorney General joined a multistate coalition to challenge the merger, and the court granted a temporary restraining order.
$29.6M
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a 48-state coalition in a $29.6 million settlement with generic-drug manufacturer Glenmark to resolve allegations of a widespread conspiracy to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and restrain trade for numerous generic prescription drugs. The settlement requires Glenmark to cooperate in ongoing multistate lawsuits and implement internal reforms to ensure compliance with antitrust laws.
The Minnesota Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Maduro Distributors, Inc. (doing business as Loon) for illegally manufacturing, distributing, and selling flavored vapes that appeal to minors, using flavors like 'Cotton Candy' and 'Blue Razz Slushy' and kid-friendly characters. The lawsuit also alleges Loon deceptively marketed its products as accepted for FDA approval when they were not. The state seeks a permanent injunction, civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation, restitution, and attorney fees.
Attorney General Ellison and 48 other attorneys general called on the FCC to strengthen rules to cut off scammers' access to legitimate telephone numbers. The coalition is responding to the FCC's proposed rules to combat illegal robocalls and texts, which cost Americans nearly $2 billion last year.
$18.0M
A coalition of 42 state attorneys general reached a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe over a 2023 data breach that compromised the genetic data of 6.9 million customers. The settlement provides $18 million from bankruptcy funds, with Minnesota receiving $514,871, and imposes data security requirements on the successor entity, 23andMe Research Institute.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a coalition of 12 state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The lawsuit alleges that the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act by substantially lessening competition in theatrical film distribution and basic cable television channel licensing, threatening higher prices and reduced innovation for consumers.