Many McDonald’s customers are all too familiar with the frustration of encountering a broken ice cream machine.

Franchise owners have expressed their struggles with repairing these machines, while McDonald’s has humorously acknowledged the frequent breakdowns. Additionally, there’s even a dedicated site where customers can check the status of McFlurry availability.

However, this issue may be resolved soon after the U.S. Copyright Office announced new exemptions last week, allowing eateries to fix equipment used for “retail-level commercial food preparation,” which includes the soft-serve ice cream machines necessary for making McFlurrys.

This exemption comes following a request made by Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group, and iFixit, an online repair resource, and it officially took effect on Monday.

“This isn’t just your average outcome; this exemption for retail-level commercial food preparation equipment is set to lead to an increase in third-party repairs and better service for customers,” remarked Meredith Rose, senior policy counsel at Public Knowledge.

Right to Repair

Under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it is prohibited for third parties to bypass digital locks on any copyrighted material, including the software used in commercial devices like those ice cream machines at McDonald’s, even for repair purposes.

Previously, this meant that McFlurry enthusiasts had to rely solely on the manufacturer for repairs whenever a machine malfunctioned.

Since 1956, McDonald’s has relied on the Taylor Company, based in Illinois, to provide its ice cream machines, which meant only Taylor had the authority to make repairs.

According to iFixit, which examined a McDonald’s ice cream machine last year, these machines are filled with numerous replaceable components.

Rose referred to the new exemption as “a long-overdue transformation in the commercial food preparation sector.”