iFixit: We Can Now Fix McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines

Ever tried to get an ice cream at McDonald’s, only to hear, “Sorry, our machine’s broken?” You’re not the only one: almost 15% of ice cream machines at McDonald’s are broken right now around the US—and in New York, it’s 32%. But today, we won more ice cream, and things should start to change.

The U.S. Copyright Office just handed down a ruling that marks an important victory for Right to Repair: we can now legally repair commercial food preparation equipment, including McDonald’s machines, without running afoul of copyright law. 

We’ve been fighting for years to challenge the digital locks that manufacturers like Taylor (which makes McDonald’s ice cream machines) use to keep repair information out of reach, forcing expensive service calls for simple fixes. Digital locks blocking repair come from an archaic 1998 copyright law, and every three years, we get a chance to ask the Copyright Office to give us exemptions to that law. Last time, we won exemptions for basically all consumer equipment, vehicles, and medical devices. The time before that, we won smartphones and home appliances. This time, the FTC and DOJ even weighed in to support our petition. 

But while this is a significant step forward, the battle is far from over. Any McDonald’s franchisee can hack your own machine, but if you want to share what you found with your friends or sell a tool to help diagnose and fix your machine, you’re out of luck. Plus, the ruling didn’t go nearly far enough in granting broader exemptions for repairing other commercial or industrial equipment. 

Trust us, we’re not stopping there. This is a big win—and we’ll be celebrating with ice cream!—but copyright law still needs fixing before we’re free to fix everything we own.

The Win: You’re Now Free to Hack Your Ice Cream Machine

For years, McDonald’s franchise owners have struggled with error codes and malfunctioning ice cream machines that could only be fixed by manufacturer-authorized technicians. The machines would often sit broken for extended periods because owners couldn’t troubleshoot or repair them on their own, due to digital locks embedded in the machine’s software. These locks are protected under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which generally makes it illegal to bypass software locks known as “technological protection measures,” even for legitimate repairs.

That changes today. Thanks to the new exemption granted by the Copyright Office, owners, repair technicians, and tinkerers can now legally bypass the software locks on retail-level commercial food preparation equipment, such as the Taylor ice cream machines. This allows for the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of the machines without needing to rely on costly service calls or manufacturer intervention. The exemption also applies to other commercial kitchen equipment—we’ve heard about undocumented error codes in commercial espresso machines, restaurant owners getting locked out of their own commercial ovens, and missing service manuals for insulated cabinets. But we’re especially excited about the ice cream win.

For ice cream lovers everywhere, this could mean fewer “machine broken” signs at McDonald’s and more sundaes and McFlurries available when you want them. It’s tangible progress in the fight to regain control over the products we own.

The Problem: We Still Don’t Have Repair Tools

Here’s the catch: while it’s now legal to circumvent the digital locks on these machines, the ruling does not allow us to share or distribute the tools necessary to do so. This is a major limitation. Most franchise owners and independent repair shops won’t have the technical expertise to create their own unlocking tools from scratch, meaning that while the door to repair has been opened, few will be able to walk through it without significant difficulty.

It is still a crime for iFixit to sell a tool to fix ice cream machines, and that’s a real shame. The ruling doesn’t change the underlying statute making it illegal to share or sell tools that bypass software locks. This leaves most of the repair work inaccessible to the average person, since the technical barriers remain high. Without these tools, this exemption is largely theoretical for many small businesses that don’t have in-house repair experts.

The Miss: Broader Exemptions for Commercial and Industrial Equipment

Even more disappointing is the denial of broader exemptions for commercial and industrial equipment. While we succeeded in securing an exemption for retail-level food equipment, the Copyright Office declined to extend similar protections to a wider class of commercial devices—meaning the ruling does not apply to things like heavy machinery, factory equipment, or even broader categories of restaurant hardware.

This was a key part of our petition, as the same issues plague repair in other industries. Many businesses, from farmers to factory owners, face the same frustrations: they are locked out of their own equipment by digital restrictions that prevent them from making repairs without calling in a certified technician. We pointed to examples like the Polish trains that were locked “for arbitrary reasons after being serviced at third-party workshops” with “bogus error codes,” multi-million dollar factory machines getting bricked for a lack of software access, and a school that lost access to its HVAC system when the maintenance technician passed away.

We asked for an exemption that would cover all software-enabled commercial and industrial devices, but the Copyright Office denied this broader request, citing a lack of sufficient evidence that digital locks were creating adverse effects across a wider range of equipment.

Without this broader exemption, a significant portion of the repair market is still controlled by manufacturers, who can charge exorbitant prices for repair services and restrict access to parts and tools. This leaves many small businesses with no choice but to endure downtime and extra costs, even when a simple repair could get them back up and running quickly.

Renewals: What We Won, What We Didn’t

Every three years, the Copyright Office reviews the current exemptions and decides which ones to renew, expand, or let expire. This year, we secured several important renewals, though some gaps remain.

What We Won:

Medical Devices:

Renewals were granted for medical devices, allowing technicians to access software controlling devices like defibrillators and insulin pumps. This helps ensure that life-saving equipment can be repaired quickly and efficiently, which is crucial for patient care. This renewal is essential for hospitals repairing their own equipment, and came despite heated opposition from AdvaMed. The medical device manufacturers are so upset about all of this that they are suing the Copyright Office over the last rulemaking that originally granted this exemption three years ago.

Repair of Motorized Vehicles, Marine Vessels, and Agricultural Equipment:

Exemptions allowing the repair of computer programs in motorized land vehicles, marine vessels, and mechanized agricultural equipment were renewed. This means farmers can continue to repair their tractors, and boat owners can fix their vessels without worrying about digital locks.

Consumer Devices:

We also successfully renewed the exemption that allows repairs on consumer electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and home appliances. This is a critical exemption for everyday consumers who want the right to repair their own gadgets without voiding warranties or violating copyright law.

Assistive Technologies:

The exemptions for assistive technologies were renewed as well, ensuring that people with disabilities can access and use literary and musical works through assistive software without running afoul of copyright restrictions.

What We Didn’t Win:

Video Game Accessibility:

Unfortunately, the exemption allowing circumvention of digital locks on video games for accessibility purposes (introduced in 2021) was not renewed. No petition for renewal was submitted, and as a result, individuals with disabilities who need alternative input methods to play video games are left out.

Broader Exemptions for Industrial Devices:

As mentioned earlier, we failed to secure a broader exemption for industrial and commercial equipment. This leaves a huge number of businesses still locked out of the right to repair their own machinery.

Why Does This Matter?

The Copyright Office’s ruling is a step in the right direction, but it’s far from the finish line. We’re thrilled to be able to fix ice cream machines, but without tools, most franchise owners won’t be able to take full advantage of this new freedom. And while retail food equipment is now covered, the vast world of commercial and industrial devices remains stuck in a repair monopoly, where manufacturers control who can fix what and at what cost.

This ruling highlights the ongoing battle between consumers and manufacturers over the right to repair. We’ve made significant strides, but we’re still facing systemic barriers that prevent small businesses and consumers from taking control of their own products.

What’s Next?

We’ll take today’s victory and keep fighting for more. Next on our list? Fixing federal copyright law, which is the only way we can secure access to the tools we need and share what we find as we troubleshoot our machines. iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens testified before congress last year about why this is so important, and we’re hoping to see US federal legislation like last session’s Freedom to Repair Act.

Meanwhile, Canada is in the final stages of considering legislation that would fix the Canadian version of the DMCA, a bill called C-244 that is in its third reading in the Senate and expected to move before the end of the month. If Canada legalized circumventing technological protection measures for the purposes of repair, we might just have to head north to find the tools we need to do repairs.

So go enjoy that McFlurry—just know that the fight to fix isn’t over yet.

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