McDonald's Broken Ice Cream Machines Can Finally Be Fixed As New Copyright Exemption Allows 3rd Party Repairs

The U.S. copyright office has granted an exemption allowing third-party repairs of the frequently malfunctioning ice cream machines at McDonald’s Corp. MCD.

What Happened: Last week, the U.S. copyright office gave the green light to third parties to diagnose and repair commercial equipment, including McDonald’s notorious ice cream machines.

This decision enables franchise owners to circumvent the digital locks that previously barred them from fixing the machines themselves.

The exemption is a part of the Copyright Office’s final rule granting exceptions to Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DMCA. The law had earlier forbidden anyone other than the manufacturer,  from bypassing its software locks.

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However, following a machine teardown last year, iFixit and Public Knowledge filed for an exemption, which received support from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.

While the decision does not fully cover the request for an exemption for a broader range of commercial and industrial equipment, it does address the issue with McDonald’s ice cream machines.

The exemption will officially come into effect on Oct. 28.

Why It Matters: This development comes at a time when McDonald’s has been grappling with other issues. The fast-food giant recently faced an E. Coli scare linked to its Quarter Pounder burgers, which led to a drop in its stock.

As a result, McDonald’s and its rivals, including Restaurant Brands International QSR and Yum Brands Inc. YUM, removed onions from their menus.

However, McDonald’s has now announced that its Quarter Pounders are making a comeback after beef was ruled out as the main culprit in the E.Coli scare.

The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, had also launched an investigation into McDonald’s supplier, Taylor Farms, following the outbreak.

The outbreak has been linked to 49 reported cases of E. coli, leading to 10 hospitalizations and one fatality.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: LadyDucayne via Flickr