Feds advocate for right-to-repair changes amid McDonald’s ice cream woes

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

HAVE YOU EVER VENTURED TO MCDONALD’S HOPING FOR A MCFLURRY OR SOFT SERVED ICE CREAM CONE – ONLY TO BE TOLD THE ICE CREAM MACHINE IS BROKEN DOWN??

YEAH, YOU’RE NOT ALONE.. AND NOW THE FEDS ARE GETTING INVOLVED.

FEDERAL REGULATORS ARE PUSHING FOR CHANGES TO RIGHT-TO-REPAIR LAWS TO ADDRESS THE FREQUENT BREAKDOWNS OF THOSE MCDONALD’S ICE CREAM MACHINES.

IN A JOINT LETTER TO THE U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION MADE A CASE FOR EXEMPTING COMMERCIAL SOFT-SERVE MACHINES FROM CURRENT RESTRICTIVE REPAIR LAWS. THEY ARGUE THAT SUCH EXEMPTIONS WOULD PROMOTE COMPETITION AND BENEFIT CONSUMERS.

THIS INCLUDES EXTENDING THE EXEMPTION TO COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT.

CURRENTLY, MCDONALD’S MACHINES, WHICH ARE MADE BY TAYLOR, CAN BE SERVICED ONLY BY LICENSED TECHNICIANS, LEADING TO LONG WAIT TIMES AND HIGH REPAIR COSTS.

SO — IF APPROVED, THIS COULD CHANGE REPAIR DYNAMICS.