Skip to main content

John Deere & GM Say All Your Vehicle’s Software Isn’t Really Yours

With each passing year, vehicles become less mechanical and more digital.

Strip out all the software and modern cars lose their prized connectivity, safety, and fuel economy features.

For this reason, if you polled the average new car buyer, they’d probably be in favor of keeping their digitized equipment on-board. However, according to John Deere – one of the largest producers of agricultural equipment – and General Motors, that software in your car isn’t really even yours.

In an issue expanded upon by Wired, John Deere has informed the Copyright Office that every piece of software on its tractors is still under the company’s ownership. In other words, everything that makes a modern tractor work isn’t actually owned by the farmers who buy these machines. John Deere’s exact phrasing is that farmers have “an implied license for the life of the vehicle to operate the vehicle.”

Reportedly, other large companies have claimed similar types of continuing ownership related to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. The act is related to the differences between hardware and software from a legal standpoint. GM is among the brands who have argued that new product software should not be modified.

Wired goes on to point out that if the Copyright Office rules that manufacturers still own the software after it’s in owner hands, then anyone who adjusts programming – even if it’s on your “smart coffeemaker” or to repair a broken tractor is breaking the law. How? John Deere argues that third parties could steal the software if an owner has access to it for repairs or modifications. Hilariously, John Deere even makes the point that access to this software to lead to illegal music downloads through a tractor’s infotainment system.

GM (and other automakers’) specific bone to pick in this case is that consumers could “conflate ownership of a vehicle with ownership of the underlying computer software in a vehicle.” By this token, anyone who has legal access to the software can make modifications to make cars go faster or violate emissions laws. While this is a valid point, it should in no way fall under the jurisdiction of the Copyright Office. Wired notes that police officers will pull over speeders and the EPA will issue penalties to law breakers.

The concept of ownership is a twisted one, and as software powers more of our lives, we may soon find that we “own” very little of what we buy.

Miles Branman
Miles Branman developed a passion for cars early on thanks to a neighbor’s collection of rare and exotic vehicles. What…
Pricing for the new Mercedes-AMG GT starts at $135K — here’s what you get
The Mercedes-AMG GT offers superior power and luxury
2024 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe

2024 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe_02 Rear 3/4 View MBUSA / MBUSA

While a portion of the population may believe that the only new cars worth getting excited about are EVs these days, as it turns out, ICE vehicles are still around, and what's more, some of them are far more exhilarating than your average Tesla model update. While Mercedes-Benz is known for making lavish luxury vehicles, the tenor of those cars tends to get ratcheted up a few notches whenever Mercedes teams up with its in-house performance brand AMG. Now, the second generation of the incredible Mercedes-AMG GT is available for sale, and the world is all the better for it.

Read more
Buyer beware: The least reliable cars you can buy in 2024
Know the car reliability ratings of these bad buys
Front end angle of 2021 Ford F-150 parked on a dirt trail in front of a red barn and trees.

According to statistics, car sales grew by about 75.3 million globally in 2023, up from the estimated 67.3 million units sold in 2022. Evidently, buying a car is a big purchase, like buying a home, that many people want to achieve during their lifetime. 

Unfortunately, much like houses, cars have become increasingly more expensive in recent years. This is why people want to ensure they are buying a reliable car that isn't going to break down on them a few months to years down the line. The bottom line is drivers want reliability now more than ever. 

Read more
How many teams are there in Formula 1 in 2024?
!0 teams and 20 drivers compete for the World Championship,
Aston Martin Formula 1 race car driving directly toward the camera.

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix winner's stage Nate Swanner / DTMG

In the current FIA Formula 1 season, ten teams each field two drivers to vie for the highest Grand Prix World Championship points among all competitors. The 2024 F1 schedule has 24 Grand Prix racing events, including six that include a shorter F1 Sprint race.
Why F1 teams matter in the sport

Read more