Does an All Dogs Unleashed franchisee receive compensation for improvements they develop related to the franchise?
All_Dogs_Unleashed Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you, your employees, or Owners develop any new concept, process or improvement relative to the operation or promotion of an ALL DOGS UNLEASHED business (an "Improvement"), you agree to promptly notify Franchisor and provide Franchisor with all necessary related information, without compensation.
Any such Improvement shall become Franchisor's sole property and Franchisor shall be the sole owner of all related patents, patent applications, and other intellectual property rights.
You and your Owners hereby assign to Franchisor any rights you or your Owners may have or acquire in the Improvements, including the right to modify the Improvement, and waive and/or release all rights of restraint and moral rights therein and thereto.
You and your Owners agree to assist Franchisor in obtaining and enforcing the intellectual property rights to any such Improvement in any and all countries and further agree to execute and provide Franchisor with all necessary documentation for obtaining and enforcing such rights.
You and your Owners hereby irrevocably designate and appoint Franchisor as agent and attorney-in-fact for you and for them to execute and file any such documentation and to do all other lawful acts to further the prosecution and issuance of patents or other intellectual property right related to any such Improvement.
In the event that the foregoing provisions of this Section 8.4 are found to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, you and your Owners hereby grant to Franchisor a worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive, fully-paid license to use and sublicense the use of the Improvement
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 49–158)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 All Dogs Unleashed Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not compensated for any improvements they develop related to the All Dogs Unleashed business. The franchise agreement stipulates that if a franchisee, their employees, or owners develop any new concept, process, or improvement related to the operation or promotion of an All Dogs Unleashed business, they must promptly notify All Dogs Unleashed and provide all necessary related information.
The agreement explicitly states that any such improvement becomes the sole property of All Dogs Unleashed, which will be the sole owner of all related patents, patent applications, and other intellectual property rights. Franchisees and their owners assign all rights they may have or acquire in the improvements to All Dogs Unleashed, including the right to modify the improvement. They also waive all rights of restraint and moral rights.
Franchisees must assist All Dogs Unleashed in obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights to any such improvement in any and all countries and must provide all necessary documentation for obtaining and enforcing such rights. All Dogs Unleashed is irrevocably designated as the agent and attorney-in-fact for the franchisee and their owners to execute and file any such documentation and to perform all lawful acts to further the prosecution and issuance of patents or other intellectual property rights related to any such improvement.
Even if these provisions are found to be invalid or unenforceable, the franchisee and their owners grant All Dogs Unleashed a worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive, fully-paid license to use and sublicense the use of the improvement. This ensures that All Dogs Unleashed can continue to use the improvement, even if the original terms are not upheld, without infringing on the franchisee's rights.