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Why American Farmers Are Hacking Their Tractors with Ukrainian Firmware

Jason Koebler

Motherboard, 2017

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A farmer has always been a jack of all trades, but now American farmers are adding an unexpected skill to their repertoire: hacking. In a dispute that pits equipment maker John Deere against customers who insist on their right to maintain and modify their own machines, farmers are learning to hack their own tractors using pirated software purchased on the Eastern European black market. Journalist Jason Koebler uncovers the dark side of tractor software, whereby American farmers purchase pirated firmware to bring home the bacon. getAbstract recommends this article to anyone interested in intellectual property, farming and stories of resistance to corporate power.

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American farmers are hacking their own farm equipment by purchasing pirated firmware that allows them to repair and modify their John Deere machines.
Although hacking farm machinery is legal, John Deere requires farmers to sign an end user license agreement (EULA) that forbids them from working on their own machines.
John Deere claims farmers are free to maintain their own equipment, but farmers point out that the EULA states otherwise and that the company refuses to provide the necessary software.

About the Author

Jason Koebler is a senior staff writer at Motherboard and has written on science and technology for The Atlantic, The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report.

Why American Farmers Are Hacking Their Tractors with Ukrainian Firmware

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