Does the confidentiality obligation for All Dogs Unleashed survive termination of the franchise agreement?
All_Dogs_Unleashed Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You shall maintain the confidentiality of all Confidential Information.
You shall use Confidential Information only in connection with the operation of the Franchised Business, and shall divulge Confidential Information only to your employees and only on a need to know basis.
This obligation shall survive termination or expiration (without renewal) of this Agreement.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 49–158)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to All Dogs Unleashed's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the obligation to maintain the confidentiality of all confidential information survives the termination or expiration of the Franchise Agreement. This means that even after the franchise agreement ends, the franchisee is still legally bound to protect and not disclose any confidential information they learned during their time as a franchisee.
This obligation extends to using confidential information only in connection with the operation of the All Dogs Unleashed franchised business and divulging it only to employees on a need-to-know basis. This is a standard practice in franchising, as franchisors need to protect their proprietary information and systems.
For a prospective All Dogs Unleashed franchisee, this means understanding that the duty to protect confidential information doesn't end when the franchise agreement does. It's a perpetual obligation. This includes trade secrets, operating manuals, customer lists, and other proprietary information that gives All Dogs Unleashed a competitive advantage. Failure to uphold this confidentiality could result in legal action from All Dogs Unleashed.