Does Americas Best Value Inn or its affiliates own any patents material to the franchise?
Americas_Best_Value_Inn Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Neither we nor any of our affiliates own any patents or pending patent applications that are material to the franchise. Although we have not filed an application for copyright registration for the Brand Manual, other written materials, or trade dress, we or our affiliates claim copyright protection for the Brand Manual, for any other written materials we develop to assist you in the development and operation of your Hotel, and the trade dress for ABVI Hotels. You may use the copyrighted materials to operate your Hotel in accordance with Brand Standards during the term of the Franchise Agreement but you do not have any rights in those materials.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD page 58)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Americas Best Value Inn FDD, neither Americas Best Value Inn nor any of its affiliates own any patents or pending patent applications that are material to the franchise. However, Americas Best Value Inn or its affiliates claim copyright protection for the Brand Manual, other written materials, and the trade dress for ABVI Hotels, even though they have not filed for copyright registration.
As a franchisee, you are allowed to use these copyrighted materials to operate your hotel according to Brand Standards during the term of the Franchise Agreement, but you do not acquire any ownership rights in them. You are also obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the Brand Manual and any other proprietary information provided to you, treating it as a trade secret and limiting access to employees with a need to know.
This means that while you won't be dealing with patent-related issues, you must respect the copyrights and proprietary information of Americas Best Value Inn. You should also be aware that Americas Best Value Inn is not obligated under any agreement to protect or defend its copyrights, although they intend to do so.