factual

What confidentiality protection practices should an Afuri Ramen Dumpling franchisee use to protect Confidential Information?

Afuri_Ramen_Dumpling Franchise · 2024 FDD

Answer from 2024 FDD Document

em and all Confidential Information is and shall continue to be our sole and exclusive property, whether or not disclosed or entrusted to you in connection with your relationship with us. Nothing in this Agreement will

give you or others any right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to them. The Confidential Information shall be considered our trade secrets and shall be entitled to all protections provided by applicable law to trade secrets.

  • 1.3 Safeguard of Confidential Information. You agree to exercise the highest degree of care in safeguarding Confidential Information against loss, theft, or other inadvertent disclosure. You agree to accord to the Confidential Information the same degree of care and use the same confidentiality protection practices as you exercise or employ with respect to your confidential or proprietary information (but no less than a reasonable degree of care). This includes obligating employees and consultants who receive Confidential Information to covenants of confidentiality and non-use.
  • 1.4 Notice. You agree that if you or your employees and agents are served with any subpoena or other compulsory judicial or administrative process calling for production of Confidential Information, you will immediately notify us in order that we may take such action as we deem necessary to protect our interests. You agree to execute any and all documents and to do all acts and things in the opinion of our counsel are necessary or advisable to protect our interests.
  • 2. COVENANT OF NON-DISCLOSURE. You specifically acknowledge that you will receive valuable specialized and Confidential Information, including information regarding our operational, sales, promotional and marketing methods and techniques and the System. You agree not to disclose Confidential Information to any third party and to limit disclosure within your association to designated employees approved by us. Disclosures to designated employees will be done on a "need to know" basis to the extent necessary for them to perform the duties of their employment with you. Unless required by court order or applicable law, you agree not to copy, download, send, or divulge any Confidential Information directly or indirectly to any other person or enterprise outside of our system. Except in connection with an Afuri franchise, you will never communicate, divulge, or use in any manner, either for your benefit or the benefit or any other person, persons, partnerships, associations, companies or corporations any Confidential Information or proprietary information, knowledge or know-how concerning the System or any information we have communicated to you in written, verbal or electronic form, including intranet passwords, for the operation of your business.
  • 3 COVENANT OF NON-USE. You agree not to use Confidential Information or the System, except as authorized by us. You will obligate your owners, board of directors, your employees, and your agents to the same non-use covenant. We must approve in writing any use of Confidential Information or System by you or your owners or your directors or employees.
  • 4 RETURN OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. You agree that all originals and copies of records, data, reports, documents, lists, plans, drawings, correspondence, memoranda, notes, and other materials related to or containing any Confidential Information, in whatever form they exist, whether written, visual, audio, video, or other form of media, shall be our sole and exclusive property. Upon request by us, you will promptly return to us all documents or other tangible property that contains Confidential Information.
  • 5 RECIPES. Without limiting the generality of the non-disclosure and non-use provisions in this Agreement, you specifically agree not to disclose or use our recipes (by yourself or by or through any other entity or individual) in any manner other than in connection with Afuri franchises pursuant to the Franchise Agreement.

6 NON-COMPETITION COVENANT.

6.1 Covenant. During the term of your association with Franchisee and for two years thereafter, you will not directly or indirectly (including by or through any other person or entity) participate as an owner, director, officer, employee, consultant, licensor, licensee, distributor, or agent, or serve in any other capacity in any business engaged in the offer, sale, or promotion of: (1) ramen, (2) other Japanese style cuisine, (3) Vietnamese pho, or (4) any business that offers products or services that are essentially the same as, or substantially similar to, the products and services that are part of the

System.

  • 6.2 Geographic Scope. During the term of your association with Franchisee, the covenants described in Section 6.1 above shall apply worldwide. During the two-year period after your association with Franchisee, such covenants will apply within the Development Territory, within a 50-mile radius of the Development Territory, and within a 50-mile radius of any location or designated territory where we operate or have granted the franchise to operate an Afuri business.
  • 7 NON-DIVERSION OF BUSINESS. During the term of your association with Franchisee and for two years thereafter, you will not:
  • A. divert or attempt to divert any of our business or any of our customers to any competing establishment; or
    • B. do anything harmful to our goodwill associated with the Marks and System.
  • 8 REMEDIES: INJUNCTION AND DAMAGES. You acknowledge that any disclosure of Confidential Information will cause irreparable harm to us. You agree that it may be difficult to measure damage to us from any breach by you or your employees and agents of this Agreement. You agree that monetary damages may be an inadequate remedy for any such breach.

Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 50–189)

What This Means (2024 FDD)

According to the 2024 Afuri Ramen Dumpling Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must exercise a high degree of care to protect confidential information against loss, theft, or inadvertent disclosure. This includes using the same confidentiality protection practices that the franchisee uses for their own confidential information, but no less than a reasonable degree of care. Franchisees must ensure that employees and consultants who receive confidential information are bound by confidentiality and non-use covenants. They are also required to notify Afuri Ramen Dumpling immediately if they or their employees are served with any subpoena or legal process that calls for the production of confidential information. Franchisees must also execute any documents deemed necessary by Afuri Ramen Dumpling's counsel to protect their interests.

Afuri Ramen Dumpling franchisees must limit the disclosure of confidential information within their organization to designated employees approved by Afuri Ramen Dumpling, and only on a "need to know" basis. Unless required by law, franchisees are prohibited from copying, downloading, sending, or divulging any confidential information to any third party outside of the Afuri Ramen Dumpling system. Franchisees are also prohibited from using confidential information for their own benefit or the benefit of others, except in connection with their Afuri Ramen Dumpling franchise. This extends to not communicating or divulging the contents of operations manuals or any other information related to the system to unauthorized individuals.

To further protect Afuri Ramen Dumpling's confidential information, franchisees must ensure that all owners, officers, directors, LLC managers, trustees, beneficiaries, independent contractors, and others who may gain knowledge of confidential information sign confidentiality and non-compete agreements in a form approved by Afuri Ramen Dumpling. These agreements must designate Afuri Ramen Dumpling as a third-party beneficiary, allowing them to enforce the agreements. Franchisees are responsible for ensuring that these agreements comply with local legal requirements. Additionally, franchisees must implement any reasonable procedures prescribed by Afuri Ramen Dumpling to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information and promptly report any actual or threatened unauthorized use or disclosure.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.