A malfunctioning ice cream machine is a common frustration for McDonald’s customers. Franchisees have expressed challenges in getting the machines repaired, and even McDonald’s has joked about how frequently they seem to break. There’s even a website dedicated to tracking which locations have non-functional machines, helping customers avoid disappointment when craving a McFlurry.
This issue may soon improve, thanks to a recent decision by the U.S. Copyright Office. New exemptions now allow restaurants to repair equipment used in “retail-level commercial food preparation,” including the soft-serve machines essential for making McFlurries.
The change follows efforts by consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge and repair-focused website iFixit, which petitioned for the exemption. As of Monday, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (DMCA) Section 1201 no longer restricts third parties from bypassing digital locks for repairs on such equipment.
Previously, whenever an ice cream machine broke down, McDonald’s locations were required to rely exclusively on the Taylor Company—an Illinois-based manufacturer and McDonald’s long-time partner since 1956—for repairs. Taylor’s exclusive “right to repair” left no room for franchise owners or independent technicians to service the machines. According to iFixit, which examined one of the devices last year, many of the machine’s components are easily replaceable, making the repair limitations all the more frustrating.
