Are All Dogs Unleashed franchisees allowed to contest the exclusive ownership of the copyrights?
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 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 28–29)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 All Dogs Unleashed Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are explicitly required to assign any intellectual property rights for improvements to the franchisor. Specifically, if a franchisee, their employees, or owners develop any new concept, process, or improvement related to the All Dogs Unleashed business, they must promptly notify the franchisor and provide all necessary related information without compensation.
Any such improvement becomes the sole property of All Dogs Unleashed, and the franchisor has the exclusive right to all related patents, patent applications, and other intellectual property rights. Franchisees and their owners must assign any rights they may have or acquire in these improvements to the franchisor, including the right to modify the improvement. They also waive all rights of restraint and moral rights.
Furthermore, franchisees and their owners agree to assist All Dogs Unleashed in obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights to any such improvement in any and all countries. They must also execute and provide all necessary documentation for obtaining and enforcing such rights. The franchisor is irrevocably designated as the agent and attorney-in-fact to execute and file any such documentation to further the prosecution and issuance of patents or other intellectual property rights related to any improvement. Even if these provisions are found invalid or unenforceable, franchisees and their owners grant All Dogs Unleashed a worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive, fully-paid license to use and sublicense the improvement.