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

The soft drink machines at McDonald’s restaurants break down so often that their unreliability has long been the subject of jokes and memes, and now even a rallying cry for this year’s presidential race.

The widespread problem even spurred the creation of McBroken, an online tracker of broken cars across the US.

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.

The new rule, which took effect Monday, allows third-party providers to repair “commercial food preparation equipment at the retail level.” That includes McDonald’s ice cream machines, as 404’s 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. The movement advocates 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. The movement took hold when Apple announced in 2021 that it would allow customers to repair their iPhones themselves.

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 photo on X of himself at a McDonald’s drive-thru, a photoshopped version of President Biden holding an ice cream cone, and promised, “WHEN I’M PRESIDENT OF MCDONALD’S.” THE ICE CREAM MACHINES ARE 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 submitted comments to the US Copyright Office recommending 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 in a blog post celebrating the move, but noted that 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.”

Copyright: NPR 2024