What rights do franchisees waive regarding Improvements made to the All Dogs Unleashed system?
All_Dogs_Unleashed Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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.
- 8.4. Improvements. 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.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 49–158)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to All Dogs Unleashed's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees waive certain rights regarding any improvements they develop related to the All Dogs Unleashed business. Specifically, 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 without compensation.
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 to All Dogs Unleashed any rights they may have or acquire in the improvements, including the right to modify the improvement. They also waive and/or release all rights of restraint and moral rights therein.
Furthermore, franchisees and their owners agree to assist All Dogs Unleashed in obtaining and enforcing the intellectual property rights to any such improvement in any and all countries. They also agree to execute and provide All Dogs Unleashed with all necessary documentation for obtaining and enforcing such rights. Franchisees and their owners irrevocably designate and appoint All Dogs Unleashed as their agent and attorney-in-fact 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 rights related to any such improvement.
In the event that these provisions are found to be invalid or unenforceable, franchisees and their owners grant to All Dogs Unleashed a worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive, fully-paid license to use and sublicense the use of the improvement. This license applies to the extent that such use or sublicense would, absent the agreement, directly or indirectly infringe on the franchisee's or their owners' rights therein. This means that even if the initial assignment of rights is deemed invalid, All Dogs Unleashed retains the right to use any improvements developed by the franchisee.