What must a 7 Brew franchisee do with Innovations created by or for them?
7_Brew Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You must promptly disclose to us all ideas, concepts, techniques, or materials relating to a 7 BREW Store ("Innovations"), whether or not protectable intellectual property and whether created by or for you or your owners, employees, or contractors. Innovations belong to and are works made-for-hire for us. If any Innovation does not qualify as a "work made-for-hire" for us, you assign ownership of and all related rights to that Innovation to us and must sign (and cause your owners, employees, and contractors to sign) whatever assignment or other documents we periodically request to evidence our ownership and to help us obtain intellectual property rights in the Innovation. You may not use any Innovation in operating the Store without our prior written approval.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 51–52)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 7 Brew Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to promptly disclose any ideas, concepts, techniques, or materials related to a 7 Brew store, referred to as "Innovations," to the franchisor. This obligation applies regardless of whether these Innovations are protectable intellectual property and whether they are created by the franchisee, their owners, employees, or contractors.
The FDD states that all Innovations belong to 7 Brew and are considered works made-for-hire. If an Innovation does not legally qualify as a work made-for-hire, the franchisee must assign ownership and all related rights to 7 Brew. This includes signing (and ensuring that their owners, employees, and contractors sign) any documents that 7 Brew requests to evidence their ownership and to help them secure intellectual property rights for the Innovation.
Furthermore, the franchisee is prohibited from using any Innovation in the operation of their 7 Brew store without obtaining prior written approval from 7 Brew. This requirement ensures that 7 Brew maintains control over any new developments or modifications to the 7 Brew system and brand. This is a fairly standard clause in franchise agreements, as franchisors typically want to maintain uniformity and protect their intellectual property.