Is an All States M.E.D. franchisee permitted to use a domain name containing the company's marks in the URL?
All_States_M_E_D Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
ng cooperative. (Section 11.3 of the Franchise Agreement).
- e. You are restricted from establishing a presence on, or marketing on the Internet without our written consent. We have an Internet website that provides information about the System and our franchises. All information posted on our website or any linked webpages must be approved by us before it is posted. We retain the sole right to market on the Internet, including the use of websites, domain names, uniform resource locators, keywords, linking, search engines (and search engine optimization techniques), banner ads, meta-tags, marketing, auction sites, e-commerce, and co-branding arrangements. You may be requested to provide content for our Internet marketing and you must follow our intranet and Internet usage rules, policies and requirements. We retain the sole right to use the Marks on the Internet, including on websites, as domain names, directory addresses, search terms and meta-tags, social media pages and in connection with linking, marketing, co-branding and other arrangements. We retain the sole right to approve any linking to, or other use of, our website. You are not permitted to use a domain name containing our marks in the URL. (Section 11.4 of the Franchise Agreement).
4. Computer Systems:
You must purchase and use any hardware and software programs we designate. (Section 12.5 of the Franchise Agreement).
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 44–174)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to All States M.E.D.'s 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not permitted to use a domain name containing the company's marks in the URL. All States M.E.D. retains sole control over its brand and trademarks on the internet.
This means that while All States M.E.D. franchisees may be requested to provide content for the company's internet marketing, they cannot independently establish a website using the All States M.E.D. name in the domain. All States M.E.D. also retains the sole right to market on the Internet, including the use of websites, domain names, uniform resource locators, keywords, linking, search engines (and search engine optimization techniques), banner ads, meta-tags, marketing, auction sites, e-commerce, and co-branding arrangements.
This policy ensures brand consistency and quality control across all online platforms associated with All States M.E.D.. It also allows All States M.E.D. to manage its online presence and marketing strategies centrally. The company will provide contact information for the franchisee's specific location on its website.