The Days Of Broken McDonald's Ice Cream Machines Are Over

Rolling up to the McDonald's drive-thru window only to find out that you can't get a soft serve cone is a common experience. From long cleaning cycles to complex parts, there are many reasons McDonald's ice cream machines always seem to be broken. Too many times customers have been let down, which means McDonald's may have lost countless opportunities for repeat transactions. However, thanks to a recent court ruling reported by CNN, those who want ice cream no longer have to leave their dessert up to chance.

Previously, only Taylor, the company that manufactures the fast food giant's ice cream makers, had the right to repair its machines. Now, though, the United States Copyright Office has granted restaurants an exemption to this law, giving them and third parties the right to diagnose and repair broken commercial equipment, ice cream machines included. Moving forward, McDonald's will be able to bypass the digital locks that prevented the company from opening and repairing the machines. This could help the chain get ice cream machines up and running faster for customers.

The advocacy group Public Knowledge and the repair guide site iFixIt spearheaded the request that led to this decision, according to CNN. iFixIt reportedly deconstructed one of these Taylor ice cream machine and discovered many parts that were easily replaceable, prompting the groups to file for exemption. The filing was supported by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice before it reached the Copyright Office. Although the office only granted a narrow exemption for restaurants, the decision is a huge change that will hopefully take the food industry in a positive direction.

The drama over McDonald's ice cream machines has been brewing for many years. In 2021, the FTC even reached out to McDonald's to inquire why the machines are broken so frequently. After so many complaints and petitions from customers and workers alike (there's even a website dedicated to locating broken McDonald's ice cream machines called McBroken), this change is very much deserved.