Antitrust & Trade Reg.
Oct. 13, 2026
Who really owns the tractor after the sale?
As modern tractors become increasingly dependent on proprietary software, farmers and manufacturers face new legal questions involving repair rights, warranty protections, product liability and safety regulations.
Roberto Escobar
Email: bobby@elaw.business
Roberto "Bobby" Escobar is general counsel, and an environmental and labor and immigration advisor.
For generations, owning a tractor carried a straightforward expectation: if it broke, the owner could fix it. A farmer could replace a hose, rebuild a pump or call a local mechanic without securing the manufacturer's digital permission.
Today, that expectation is increasingly complicated. Modern tractors are software-controlled systems whose engines, transmissions, hydraulics, sensors and automated functions communicate through electronic controllers. A replacement part may be ...
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