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posted by janrinok on Wednesday July 03 2024, @11:59PM   Printer-friendly

https://qz.com/mcdonalds-broken-ice-cream-machines-federal-regulators-1851339089

Federal regulators want to fix McDonald's broken ice cream machines, and they're asking to expand right-to-repair laws to address the issue. In a letter to the U.S. Copyright Office on Thursday, regulators asked for commercial soft-serve machines to be exempt from current laws making them difficult to repair. The laws also make it more difficult for you to get a McFlurry.

"In the Agencies' view, renewing and expanding repair-related exemptions would promote competition in markets for replacement parts, repair, and maintenance services," said the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in a joint letter.

The McDonald's broken ice cream machines have found themselves at the center of the right-to-repair movement. The reason McDonald's ice cream machines are always down is because of copyright law. Only technicians licensed by the company that made the device are allowed to touch the machines, and they charge over $300 for a 15-minute servicing, according to the letter. The DOJ and the FTC identified commercial soft-serve machines as one of four device categories that would benefit from an easing of copyright laws.


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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by epitaxial on Thursday July 04 2024, @04:14AM

    by epitaxial (3165) on Thursday July 04 2024, @04:14AM (#1363023)

    Almost like the government is able to investigate multiple issues at the same time.

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