McDonald’s ice cream machines may no longer be broken if U.S. Government has its way

The FTC and DOJ are hoping to put an end to McDonald’s longstanding reputation of broken soft-serve ice cream machines.

Restaurant chain McDonald’s is famously known for having its soft-serve ice cream machines break down, to the point that employees have even used this reputation as a means to avoid extra work.

However, that may no longer be the case if the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust division have their way.

In a letter to the U.S. Copyright Office, the FTC and DOJ called for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to allow for exemptions when it comes to “commercial soft-serve machines.”

Currently, the Act only allows technicians licensed by the maker of McDonald’s ice cream machines to perform digital repairs, making it more difficult for franchise owners to fix breakdowns.

Under Section 1201 of the Act, repairing your own device can be considered a copyright violation — something the FTC and DOJ want to change.

“In the Agencies’ view, renewing and expanding repair-related exemptions would promote competition in markets for replacement parts, repair, and maintenance services, as well as facilitate competition in markets for repairable products,” the letter reads.

The letter goes on to state that breakdowns can lead to sales losses of up to $625 per day as “there are long wait times for authorizer repairs.” On top of this, “a licensed repair technician charges over $300 per 15 minutes.”

“In each case, an exemption would give users more choices for third-party and self-repair and would likely lead to cost savings and a better return on investment in commercial and industrial equipment,” the letter stated.

If the exemption is granted, McDonald’s customers may no longer need to worry about whether their ice cream needs will be met.