iFixit Aims to Finally Fix McDonald's Ice Cream Machines — By Exempting Them From the DMCA

Right-to-repair proponent iFixit is aiming to finally put the long-running joke about McDonald's ice cream machines always being broken to bed — by unlocking them for third-party repair by getting the devices exempted from the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act's provision against bypassing software protections.

"Did you know that when an ice cream machine is 'broken,' it's often just software getting in the way? Locked behind passwords and cryptic error messages, even a simple fix can become an expensive technician call-out," iFixit's Elizabeth Chamberlain claims. "Taylor, the manufacturer of these machines, keeps a tight lock on error codes and manuals. This leads to frequent, pricey service calls, making up a significant chunk of their profits. We'd love to be able to make a tool to read the error codes and help franchise owners troubleshoot their machines. But copyright law says 'no.'"

The particular law preventing iFixit from assisting franchise owners with delivering frosty treats to customers on-demand: the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (1998), a controversial law which makes illegal any form of technology designed to bypass copyright protections — even for the purposes of repair. "This might have made sense when it was all about CD piracy back in the day," Chamberlain says, "but fast-forward to today, and it's a straight-up brain freeze."

Each year, iFixit submits requests for exemptions from the DMCA's Section 1201 for the purposes of repair — many of which have been granted. This year, the company is teaming up with Public Knowledge to add the Taylor ice cream machines to the list — and to help prove the point, iFixit has taken one of the machines in question and dismantled it to see what makes it tick.

"A company named Kytch sought to provide a solution by developing a device that translated error codes into simple instructions. However, Taylor and McDonald's quickly crushed this initiative, citing unproven 'safety hazards.'" Chamberlain explains. "That's why we tore down a McDonald's ice cream machine. What did we find? Lots of easily replaceable parts: a heat exchanger with copper piping, a motor and belt, and three printed circuit boards… without some more tools, we aren't going to mess with the big compressor, but there's nothing here that's beyond the pale for someone who knows their screwdrivers."

“During the previous cycle of [DMCA Section] 1201 exemption requests, we managed to finally secure an exemption for the right to repair, but it was limited to consumer devices," explains Public Knowledge's Kathleen Burke. "This round, we are excited to work with iFixit to continue building on this victory by pushing to include commercial equipment such as McDonald's notoriously finicky commercial ice cream machines in the exemption for repair.

"In principle, copyright should not prevent anyone from repairing a device they own regardless of whether that device is consumer or commercial. The fact that this principle is not already embedded permanently into law demonstrates that our copyright system is as McBroken as the average McDonald’s ice cream machine."

The full ice cream machine teardown video is published above. More information is available in the petition submitted to the Copyright Office, available on the Public Knowledge website.