McDonald's Has Finally Solved Its Broken McFlurry Machine Epidemic

It is the end of a frustrating, sometimes infuriating era today as McDonald's perpetually broken ice cream machines will seemingly be getting fixed far faster from here on out. After years of struggle (even the government got involved with McDonald's ice cream machine issues), McDonald's franchises will finally be able to fix the machines themselves, something that was previously not allowed due to copyright issues.

Per CNN, the provider of McDonald's infamous ice cream machines, a manufacturing company called Taylor, previously had the exclusive right to fix any broken machine that it produced. This was a primary reason why McDonald's machines broke down so frequently and why they were likely to remain broken for long periods of time.

However, the United States Copyright Office made an exception to the copyright held by Taylor that grants restaurants the right to repair machinery such as McDonald's ice cream machines without the help of a Taylor repairperson. The ruling goes into effect today. At long last, we can arrive at McDonald's and order a delicious McFlurry or soft serve cone without the preconceived expectation that it will be unavailable.

For those who aren't frequent McDonald's customers and aren't well-versed in the lore behind the ice cream machines, allow me to fill you in. McDonald's ice cream machines are likely the most frustrating pieces of machinery in all of fast food due to the sheer frequency at which they tend to break down. The unavailability of ice cream products at the global chain has led to outrage, countless jokes, and even a fan-made website, McBroken.com, which tells you just how many of the thousands of McDonald's ice cream machines across the world are broken at any given time.

Regardless of the conspiracy theories about McDonald's ice cream machines you may have heard, the primary reason for them being inoperable is McDonald's inability to fix the machines itself or with the help of local repairmen. With this ruling now allowing McDonald's to fix these machines, it's expected that the percentage of broken machines — which currently sits at 14.72% — will go down. The ice cream machines oftentimes have minute and fixable issues that don't require the help of Taylor employees and can instead be solved by any given repair expert. While it's likely that it will take a while for the ruling to actually affect the condition of the machine at your local McDonald's, the future certainly looks bright for lovers of McDonald's milkshakes and McFlurries.