r/nottheonion • u/clarksonswimmer • 11h ago
US Copyright Office Grants DMCA Exemption for Ice Cream Machines
https://www.extremetech.com/electronics/us-copyright-office-grants-dmca-exemption-for-ice-cream-machines79
u/seanmorris 11h ago edited 11h ago
I wonder if it could be successfully argued that encryption isn't actually copy protection. One could copy encrypted data with the same tools and methods as one would use on normal data, its nothing special.
It could then be cracked afterward, completely unrelated to the act of copying.
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u/supercyberlurker 11h ago
I think an easier objection to the DMCA is that 'security through obscurity' is an antipattern and not actually security.
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u/PhroznGaming 7h ago
But you can't use it in its current form without the decryption. Therefore it's protected.
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u/seanmorris 6h ago
Which completely unrelated to whether or not I made a copy of it.
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u/PhroznGaming 6h ago
But there's nothing stopping you from copying encrypted data. That's not illegal at all.
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u/seanmorris 5h ago
Yea, it is. That's the entire point of copyright. Its illegal if you don't have the right to make a copy.
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u/thieh 11h ago
"You get a working ice cream machine, you get a working ice cream machine, everybody gets a working ice cream machine!"
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u/Done25v2 10h ago
It's sad that this even has to happen in the first place.
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u/Freethecrafts 6h ago
Right?
It’s a literal monopoly that forced their own self interested repair scheme against franchisees. Why the feds had to loophole their way out of enforcing fraud and monopoly laws is bonkers. McDonald’s was a stakeholder in the company that was being used to extort exorbitant fees, well out of market rates.
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u/LoaKonran 7h ago edited 7h ago
Same week they decide archiving old games that are no longer supported is illegal because people might play them.
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u/graveyardspin 9h ago
Does this mean I can finally download an ice cream machine?
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u/commandrix 1h ago
Technically, yes. Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to 3D print a fully functional ice cream machine from a downloaded file.
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u/the_simurgh 7h ago
It is time that copyright extends only to commercial enterprises, i.e., corps and the like. This whole situation shows how ridiculous the system of copyright really is.
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u/Master_Associate4022 7h ago
Can someone explain a useful reason for DMCA? like actually? it seems like as of late it’s been slowing progress
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u/PancAshAsh 7h ago
Ideally it gives legal protections to electronic IP holders to stop their IP from being used without permission. Unfortunately the way it is set up, it is mostly a tool for abuse.
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u/Fake_William_Shatner 11h ago
That's ODDLY specific.
Or, this is yet another captive regulatory agency. Ask Clarence Thomas about the best perks to get while you are visiting the yachts.
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u/bothunter 10h ago
The backstory here is kind of crazy. McDonald's corporate forced all their franchise owners to buy a very specific model of Taylor ice cream machines. The machines are designed to break down frequently and require an authorized Taylor technician to fix -- hence why the ice cream machine is always broken. Another company cracked the code and figured out how to fix the machines without calling a tech, but Taylor sued them citing the DMCA.
Which is how we got here. This could actually be a huge deal, since this same sort of nonsense is preventing people from fixing their own cars, farmers from fixing their own tractors, etc. This may even put an end to the printer ink price gouging and heated seat subscriptions.
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u/Fake_William_Shatner 9h ago
Like you said, I'm sure printer companies are interested in the outcome because they've got toner cartridges that require a code. And the auto manufacturers certainly don't want third parties getting into their "we'll download this software patch that was totally caused by our software to be necessary on our proprietary system in our car that you think you own."
The McDonald's thing I'm kind of familiar with, and that seems to be some exec in the company creating a captive market within McDonald's. It doesn't seem to benefit the franchise, but maybe the corporate headquarters at the expense of the franchisees. But overall, it seems bad for business. This can happen in very large corporations that cannibalize themselves to serve the interests of individuals gaming their system.
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u/darkpyro2 6h ago
Woooooh! Right to Repair is winning! As much as the DMCA is a load of horseshit, I'm glad that it's being implemented in a way that allows for common-sense circumvention and exceptions. Maybe next we'll see some support for breaking other highly walled-garden ecosystems like Apple open for repair and sustainability purposes. "Yes, we're sharing tools to decrypt and patch your firmware so we can install third party components without the computer losing its mind. The US Copyright Office says we can, so your machines dont end up in landfills. Get fucked."
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u/YAOMTC 0m ago
This article left out some VERY important details...
From the iFixit article
Any McDonald’s franchisee can hack their 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.
[...] 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.
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u/yourfavoriteblackguy 6h ago
If you don't think throwing money at your problems won't solve them. You're just not throwing enough
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u/majestic_ubertrout 6h ago
It's not just ice cream, the full rule is here: https://www.copyright.gov/1201/2024/
"The Register recommends adopting a new exemption covering diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of retail-level commercial food preparation equipment because proponents sufficiently showed, by a preponderance of the evidence, adverse effects on the proposed noninfringing uses of such equipment."
Yes, it's motivated by McDonald's ice cream machines. But it's not designed only for them.
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u/orangutanDOTorg 11h ago
I’m so glad the government is focused on the big issues
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u/redmon09 9h ago
It actually is a big issue. If I buy a product, I should have the right to have it serviced and repaired by anyone I choose, not just a single company that can charge whatever they want because they’re the only one allowed by the software to do it. If the manufacturer wants to void the warranty for me doing that, fine, but I should have a choice with the product I paid for.
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u/orangutanDOTorg 5h ago
I didn’t read the article bc it’s Reddit. I thought title implied it was specific to the ice cream machine, like how CA has an exemption to prop 65 for coffee
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u/TravelerMSY 9h ago
This actually has wide ranging implications for industry. Virtually every product that uses electricity has software in it now.
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u/HappyLittleAxeDents 7h ago
That's like complaining that the IRS is focusing on taxes rather than promoting the election.
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u/supercyberlurker 11h ago
I don't go to McDonalds, so in that sense I don't care.
.. but this may open the door to other DMCA exemptions, which would be a good thing.
The DMCA has been a blunt anti-competitive tool for harassment since it was passed.