New copyright rule allows McDonald’s to fix broken ice cream machines

Soft drink machines at McDonald’s restaurants it breaks down so often that their reliable unreliability has long been the subject of jokes and memes, and now even a rallying cry in this year’s presidential race.

The widespread problem even spurred the creation of McBroken. online tracker for broken cars in the USA

A new exception to copyright law could pave the way for faster car repairs, sweetening the McFlurry maker’s damaged reputation.

Until this week, most McDonald’s ice cream makers could only be repaired through the equipment manufacturer. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which protects the code built into ice cream machines, has prohibited third parties, such as McDonald’s employees and franchisees, from hacking digital locks installed by manufacturers.

New ruleThe law, which took effect Monday, allows third-party providers to repair “commercial food preparation equipment at the retail level.” This includes McDonald’s ice cream machines, a journalist from 404 Media reports. Jason Kebler explained to NPR Weekend edition.

This is a victory for the “right to repair” movement, which opposes companies interested in controlling the repair of their own products. defenders of the movement for legislation that would require manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repair services with access to their parts, tools, and service information so that consumers can repair their own, legally purchased devices. This movement took hold when Apple announced in 2021 that it would allow customers repair your iPhones yourself.

While the changes have affected other devices and machines, McDonald’s and its ice cream machines have become a particularly hot topic, especially in the run-up to the presidential election.

Two days before the law took effect, former President Donald Trump posted a message photo on X an image of him in a McDonald’s drive-thru, with a photoshopped picture of President Biden holding an ice cream cone and a promise: “WHEN I’M PRESIDENT, THE MCDONALD’S ICE CREAM MACHINES WILL BE WORKING GREAT AGAIN!”

It’s entirely possible that the Biden administration is ahead of him on this. Federal regulators have sided with right-to-repair advocates who have petitioned for a tax exemption for cooking machines. Back in March, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice both posted a comment to the US Copyright Office with a recommendation for changes.

Both iFixit, an online repair website, and Public Knowledge, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, petitioned for an exemption.

“This is a significant step forward” iFixit wrote on his blog celebrated the move but said the rule doesn’t go far enough. While the regulation allows people to repair cars, writes guide author Elizabeth Chamberlain, “it does not allow us to share or distribute the tools needed to do so.”