What will 360 Painting do with concepts and developments of other franchisees?
360_Painting Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
All ideas, concepts, techniques or materials concerning your 360 Painting Business, whether or not protectable intellectual property and whether created by or for you or your owners or employees, must be promptly disclosed to us and will be deemed our sole and exclusive property and a part of the System that we may choose to adopt and/or disclose to other franchisees. Likewise, we will disclose to you concepts and developments of other franchisees that we make part of the System. You must also assist us in obtaining intellectual property rights in any concept or development if requested.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD page 41)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 360 Painting Franchise Disclosure Document, 360 Painting will disclose to franchisees concepts and developments of other franchisees that 360 Painting incorporates into its system. Any ideas, concepts, techniques, or materials related to the 360 Painting business, whether or not they are protectable intellectual property, and whether created by or for the franchisee or their employees, must be promptly disclosed to 360 Painting. These will be considered the sole and exclusive property of 360 Painting and part of the system that 360 Painting may choose to adopt and/or disclose to other franchisees.
This means that if a 360 Painting franchisee develops a new and successful marketing strategy, service offering, or operational improvement, they are obligated to share it with 360 Painting. 360 Painting then has the right to incorporate that innovation into the broader 360 Painting system and share it with other franchisees. The franchisee who developed the concept does not retain exclusive rights to it and will not be compensated if 360 Painting decides to use it across the franchise network.
This policy encourages franchisees to contribute to the overall improvement of the 360 Painting system, but it also means that franchisees may not directly benefit financially from their own innovations if they are adopted system-wide. Franchisees are also obligated to assist 360 Painting in obtaining intellectual property rights for any concept or development if requested. This could involve additional time and expense for the franchisee, without direct compensation.
Prospective franchisees should consider this policy carefully, as it emphasizes the collaborative nature of the 360 Painting franchise system and the importance of contributing to the collective knowledge base. While franchisees benefit from the shared knowledge and best practices within the system, they also relinquish control over their own innovations and may be required to support 360 Painting in protecting those innovations.