A federal jury in Iowa found that Kinze’s True Speed and Ag Leader’s SureSpeed planting systems infringed two John Deere patents and awarded Deere $16.3 million, according to Bloomberg Law. The verdict was returned October 30, 2023—not recently. The civil case was later dismissed with prejudice in March 2024, but the available court records do not establish whether the award was paid or whether an appeal resulted in a merits decision.
What the jury decided
The verdict came in Deere & Company v. Kinze Manufacturing, Inc. and Ag Leader Technology, Inc., case No. 4:20-cv-00389, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. In its January 2024 order, the court described the jury’s October 30, 2023 findings:
- Kinze’s True Speed and Ag Leader’s SureSpeed systems infringed U.S. Patent Nos. 9,861,031 and 10,729,063.
- The jury found no infringement of U.S. Patent No. 8,813,663.
- The jury found none of those three patents invalid.
Bloomberg Law reported the jury award as $16.3 million. Its report also said the jury found Kinze actively induced or contributed to Ag Leader’s infringement. The court order confirms the verdict date and patent findings, but its accessible text does not state the award amount; the dollar figure should therefore be understood as Bloomberg Law’s reported award, not as an independently confirmed payment or collection.
The court described the patents as concerning technologies intended to place seed more quickly and precisely during planting. Deere’s second amended complaint had asserted eleven patents, but the jury trial addressed the three patents identified above—not all eleven.
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What happened after the verdict
The case was tried in phases. The jury considered the infringement and validity issues in October 2023; the court reserved an inequitable-conduct counterclaim for a later bench trial. In a January 23, 2024 order, Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger described that remaining issue and the planned bench trial.
The docket later records that the bench trial scheduled for March 25, 2024, was removed from the calendar after deadlines were stayed. The parties filed a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice on March 19, and the civil case was terminated on March 27. Those entries establish the case’s procedural end, but do not, by themselves, show what happened to the reported monetary award.
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What Kinze and Ag Leader said before trial
In a joint statement published December 7, 2020, Kinze and Ag Leader denied the allegations: “Kinze and Ag Leader deny all allegations of infringement.” They also said the litigation would not affect product availability at that time. Those were the companies’ positions in 2020; the later jury reached a different conclusion on two patents. The statement is not evidence of current product availability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Two Iowa case numbers, not one
The verdict belongs to case No. 4:20-cv-00389, filed December 18, 2020. Deere had filed a separate patent complaint, No. 4:20-cv-00372, on December 4, 2020; that earlier case was voluntarily dismissed on December 17. The earlier filing is distinct from the case that went to the jury.
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What is—and is not—known about the award
Bloomberg Law reported the $16.3 million jury award, and the court record confirms the verdict’s date and findings. The reviewed records do not establish whether Deere collected the award, whether it was satisfied or modified, or whether an appeal reached a decision on the merits. The March 2024 dismissal should not be treated as proof of payment, nor as proof that the verdict was affirmed or reversed.
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