Is the Licensee permitted to reverse engineer, decompile, or recreate the Aerus Software?
Aerus Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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- Licensee must use the Software and the Documentation only in the operation of Licensee's Franchised Business at the Approved Locations. Licensee may not modify, copy, translate, or reproduce in any form all or any part of the Software or the Documentation without Licensor's prior written consent, and in such event solely to the extent required for use of the Software and the Documentation in the operation of Licensee's Franchised Business. Any copies made under Licensor's direction must include any proprietary notices Licensor may request, including the statement "Copyright © AERUS FRANCHISING, LLC." Licensee must not make the Software or any Documentation available to any party except as described herein. Licensee must not, nor will Licensee allow any third party to, reverse engineer, decompile or otherwise recreate the Software or to reproduce or disclose any portion of the Documentation.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 74–305)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Aerus's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the licensee is explicitly prohibited from reverse engineering, decompiling, or recreating the Aerus software. The agreement states that the licensee must not, nor allow any third party to, reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise recreate the software.
This restriction is a standard practice in franchising to protect the franchisor's intellectual property. The Aerus software is a key component of their system, and unauthorized attempts to understand its underlying code could compromise its security and competitive advantage. This clause ensures that the licensee uses the software only as intended and does not attempt to replicate or modify it without permission.
The licensee is granted a nonexclusive, nonassignable license to use the software in object code form, along with its related documentation, specifically for operating the franchised business at approved locations. Any modification, copying, translation, or reproduction of the software requires Aerus's prior written consent. This protects Aerus's ownership and control over its proprietary software, ensuring consistent quality and functionality across all franchise locations.