McDonald's, $MCD, franchisees now have the right to repair their own ice cream machines

McDonald’s frequently maligned and often-broken ice cream machines could soon see a change.

AD_SHOULD_BE_HERE

On Oct. 25, the U.S. Copyright Office granted an exemption allowing restaurants, including McDonald's, the “right to repair” by bypassing digital locks that previously restricted repairs to the manufacturer only.

The familiar cones, sundaes, and McFlurries served at McDonald's are all made in Taylor Company machines, as has been the case for nearly 70 years. This partnership traces back to 1956 when future McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc struck a handshake deal with Taylor to supply milkshake machines exclusively.

Taylor’s machines have been covered by copyright, meaning only Taylor’s authorized repair teams were legally permitted to work on them. This restriction is a result of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a 1998 law that bans bypassing control access to copyrighted works.

AD_SHOULD_BE_HERE

In 2020, amidst public frustration over broken machines, a developer launched the “McBroken” map, a site that pulls data from McDonald’s app to show where ice cream products are “currently unavailable.” As of Oct. 29, McBroken shows that 14.72% of U.S. McDonald’s locations are not selling ice cream.

McDonald’s previously stated that its machines are operational around 95% of the time, though this varies by location. In 2018, an app called Kytch was designed to help restaurant owners address machine glitches without needing a technician. However, in 2021, McDonald’s warned franchisees that Kytch could pose safety risks to workers.

The exemption granted by the Copyright Office took effect on Oct. 28 and was the result of a joint petition by repair-focused website iFixIt and advocacy group Public Knowledge. In 2023, iFixIt reported on its efforts to repair McDonald’s machines, noting the machines displayed numerous confusing error codes but couldn’t be fixed due to copyright restrictions.

AD_SHOULD_BE_HERE

The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission both supported the petition.

Though not fully approved, the request resulted in an exemption for retail-level commercial food equipment, allowing third parties to bypass digital locks for repairs.

Meredith Rose, senior policy counsel at Public Knowledge, said this decision will bring an “overdue shake-up” to the food prep industry.

AD_SHOULD_BE_HERE

“There’s nothing vanilla about this victory,” Rose said in a statement, predicting a surge in third-party repair efforts that will help businesses better serve their customers.

Rose noted, however, that it remains illegal to sell or distribute digital lockpicking tools needed for these repairs.

AD_SHOULD_BE_HERE
Unusual Whales does not confirm the information's truthfulness or accuracy of the associated references, data, and cannot verify any of the information. Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Options, investing, trading is risky, and losses are more expected than profits. Please do own research before investing. Please only subscribe after reading our full terms and understanding options and the market, and the inherent risks of trading. It is highly recommended not to trade on this, or any, information from Unusual Whales. Markets are risky, and you will likely lose some or all of your capital. Please check our terms for full details.
Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Certain investment planning tools available on Unusual Whales may provide general investment education based on your input. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. See terms for more information.