Copyright Exemption to fix McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines

I came across an interesting story regarding a copyright issue and McDonald’s ice cream machines: https://ktla.com/news/consumer-business/mcdonalds-restaurants-find-solution-for-infamous-broken-ice-cream-machine-issues

McDonald’s ice cream machines are notorious for frequently being out of service. These machines are exclusively supplied by Taylor Company, which previously held the sole copyright and the exclusive right to repair them. This restricted McDonald’s franchisees and other third parties from fixing the machines on their own, even though advancements in repair technologies have made independent repairs possible. As a result, franchisees were often left with limited options to address the frequent malfunctions.

See this previous story here: https://nypost.com/2024/03/15/business/feds-side-with-mcdonalds-franchise-owners-in-battle-to-fix-ice-cream-machines/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20a%20couple%20sued,are%20manufactured%20exclusively%20by%20Taylor.

The U.S. Copyright Office has now granted a copyright exemption that gives the public a “right to repair” McDonald’s notoriously faulty ice cream machines. This exemption specifically relates to the software used to operate these machines, which has been a significant source of their recurring problems. Previously, only Taylor had the ability to bypass the “digital locks” to access the software and perform repairs.

What may be interesting is the rationale behind this decision in the US and how it might relate to users’ rights in Canada. While this may not fall under the “fair use” doctrine, could breaching the copyright serve the “public interest” by reducing the number of out-of-service ice-cream machines?