[thstone]

The issue is whether a DIY repair or modification might infringe on the manufacturer's intellectual property rights.

The John Deere story took this argument to its logical (but IMHO wrongheaded) conclusion - that a product protected by patent is not actually purchased by the customer, it is only licensed for use to the customer.

And there is ample legal precedent in the software world to support JD's claim.

This is both worrisome, irritating, and frustrating to those of us who feel that what we buy, we own.