McDonald's hasn't had the best week for public relations, as a number of cases of E. coli have been reported across numerous states. NBC reports that the cases have been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders, with the CDC saying that slivered onions are the likely culprit for the outbreak of potentially deadly bacteria.

But while one problem for the company may be ongoing, another issue may finally have been resolved which could be welcome news for many customers in New York state.

McDonald's broken McFlurry ice cream machines have been become such a joke for so long, that one fed up customer even created an app called McBroken, that tracks the status of every McFlurry machine across the country to see if they're working or not.

See Also: Could McDonald's McRib Return Once Again Across New York State?

The issue became so profound, that the Federal Trade Commission even once stepped in to investigate the matter. But the solution was completely out of local management's hands, until now.

Court Ruling Could Finally Fix McDonald's McFlurry Machines in New York State

CNN reports that the United States Copyright Office granted a copyright exemption that will give restaurants, like McDonald's, the right to bypass certain digital blocks and restrictions that had prevented the equipment from being fixed.

Many store owners and managers had complained for years that the machines were very hard to repair when they went down. McDonald’s restaurants hadn’t been able to correct the problem themselves because the company that owned and built the McFlurry makers also happened to "own the copyright and exclusive rights to fix the machines", says CNN.

See Also: Can You Find America's "Worst" Fast Food Chain Anywhere In New York State?

The new rules go into effect November 4. You may remember this old commercial below for the McFlurry from back in 1998.

LOOK: 15 Discontinued McDonald's Menu Items

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