Dawn Equipment is looking to defend its planter technology patents, claiming infringement by competing companies. In a release, the Sycamore, Ill.-based manufacturer says it is serving notice to Precision Planting and Ag Leader that they are infringing on one or more Dawn patents related to hydraulic down pressure control for row crop planters.

The company states that it had previously felt that taking such an action would not be necessary, however, it is compelled to defend its intellectual property. The release from Dawn comes less than a week after John Deere announced a planned agreement with Ag Leader Technology to allow the independent precision farming supplier to license and develop Precision Planting’s suite of planter systems.

The agreement with Ag Leader is contingent on Deere’s acquisition of Precision Planting, which is currently on hold pending the outcome of a federal lawsuit.

Dawn’s statement goes on to say that the company’s preference would be to continue driving forward with complete commitment to product design, and not be distracted by "anti-innovation forces." The company mentions several new products it has scheduled to debut this winter and hopes that the infringing parties are interested in “rational negotiation” to resolve the issue.