What is the process for Annex Brands to approve a franchisee's website?
Annex_Brands Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
. Your Website. We must approve any website (or equivalent electronic advertising) that utilizes the Marks before publication and approve any modification prior to publishing updates. If we establish our website, we will prepare and post a designated area on our website for the purpose of promoting your Center ("your website"). Your website will be accessible without charge to anyone with access to the Internet. You may not maintain another website without our prior written consent. (The terms "Franchisor's prior written consent", and "our prior written consent", as used in the franchise agreement, and its attachments, and this Agreement, mean consent that is given by Franchisor based on then-current circumstances, but that may be
withdrawn by Franchisor, if Franchisor later determines in its sole discretion that circumstances have changed, effective upon giving Franchisee 30 days' prior written notice of withdrawal.)
- (a) Standard Web Pages. The initial fee for creation and posting of standard web pages is currently included in your technology services fee, but we reserve the right to change this in the future. We will design the content of standard web pages.
- (b) Customized Standard Web Pages or Website. If we offer customization services, you may request us to customize portions of your standard web pages or create a customized website for you. We will not commence any design or programming work for you that will entail additional charges without your prior written approval. Once you agree, we will charge you at our then-current rate for design or programming services, and we may charge you an annual fee for maintaining a customized website for you. We will design the layout, including but not limited to determination of content, number of pages, consideration of alternate pages for graphics or text, and the overall navigation; create the programming code for display on the Internet including but not limited to the encoding of images, the creation of hyperlinking of both text and images, and the creation of email hyperlinking; and test the programming code. You agree to submit to us, in computer-readable, digital form, any additional text and graphics you would like us to include on your customized standard web pages or in your website. If a 3rd party owns any copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right which relates or pertains to any part of any content you deliver to us, you must obtain all necessary rights or licenses, at your sole cost and expense, so that our rights in and to such content will be no less than if such intellectual property right belonged to you and were licensed to us pursuant to Section 7 hereof. To post a website that you develop or to move an existing website to our website, you must submit the programming code to us to facilitate our development of your website.
- (c) Customized E-Commerce Services. We may make various e-commerce services available to you for reasonable fees. We will periodically notify you, in our Manuals, in bulletins, in our newsletter (360 Today), in postings on our Intranet franchisee support site, by email, by publishing a list, in writing or otherwise, of available e-commerce services, together with a schedule of applicable fees. We also may provide a method by which you may be able to offer websites to your customers and to offer to your customers some of the same e-commerce services that will be available to you.
Source: Item 22 — Contracts (FDD pages 109–110)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Annex Brands's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must have Annex Brands approve any website that utilizes the brand's marks before it is published, and also approve any modifications before updates are published. If Annex Brands establishes a website, they will prepare and post an area on their website to promote the franchisee's center. This website will be accessible without charge to anyone with internet access. Franchisees may not maintain another website without Annex Brands's prior written consent, which can be withdrawn with 30 days' notice.
Annex Brands may offer customization services where franchisees can request customization of their standard web pages or request the creation of a customized website. Annex Brands will not commence any design or programming work that will entail additional charges without the franchisee's prior written approval. Once the franchisee agrees, they will be charged at Annex Brands's then-current rate for design or programming services, and may also be charged an annual fee for maintaining a customized website.
Annex Brands will design the layout, including determination of content, number of pages, consideration of alternate pages for graphics or text, and the overall navigation; create the programming code for display on the Internet including the encoding of images, the creation of hyperlinking of both text and images, and the creation of email hyperlinking; and test the programming code. After Annex Brands creates the customized website, the franchisee agrees to review the customized website and, within a reasonable time, either inform Annex Brands of reasonable changes or inform them in writing of approval, which approval the franchisee will not unreasonably withhold.
Annex Brands will not post a franchisee's customized website in a public fashion on their website until the franchisee has given approval. Once the customized standard web pages or customized website has been posted, Annex Brands may ask the franchisee to verify the content at any time, for accuracy or otherwise, and the franchisee agrees to promptly respond to any such request, either in writing or by email. Annex Brands owns all right, title and interest in and to all advertising space in the franchisee's web pages or website, and may advertise and promote the franchisee's web pages or website without prior approval. Annex Brands may include any advertising or promotion of and links to websites of any 3rd parties that they deem desirable, as well as any other materials or content they deem appropriate, within the franchisee's web pages or website.