Agco Corp defeated an appeal brought by Deere & Co. after an appellate court upheld a verdict that the company’s Precision Planting’s high-speed planting system did not infringe on the tractor giant's intellectual property.
Upon review, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected Deere’s arguments seeking a post-trial motion for judgement and a new trial for infringement, ruling in favor of Agco and its Precision Planting brand.
The technology under scrutiny was Precision Planting’s SpeedTube product, a type of seed delivery system. Deere had sued Agco, arguing the technology infringed on its 633 and 955 patents used for its ExactEmerge precision technology, as well as other patents not mentioned in the appeal.
Deere claimed that Agco’s systems used methods for capturing and delivering seeds that are protected under its patents. However, Agco argued that its products operated differently by projecting and accelerating the seeds rather than capturing them.
In 2022, the case went to trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, where a jury found that Agco did not infringe Deere’s patents.
The federal appellate court affirmed the lower court’s ruling late last week.
“This ruling validates our commitment to innovation and the integrity of our products,” Agco said in a statement Jan. 24. “We remain dedicated to delivering high-quality solutions to our customers and will continue to focus on advancing our technology.”
Precision Planting is one of Agco’s major brands and became part of a joint venture with Trimble’s precision agriculture business last year called PTx Trimble. Amid tractor sales challenges, Agco is looking to transform into a leader of retrofit precision technologies as farmers look to upgrade their older equipment.
Deere’s ExactEmerge system also allows farmers to retrofit equipment to upgrade planter technology. Like Precision Planting, Deere’s technology can increase planting speeds and significantly boost productivity.
