Does Aw consider ideas, inventions, formulas, concepts, methods, techniques or improvements relating to the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant that I develop as Confidential Information?

According to Aw's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, any ideas, inventions, formulas, concepts, methods, techniques, or improvements related to the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant that you or your employees develop during the operation of the restaurant, and for six months after the termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, are considered Confidential Information. You are required to disclose these developments to Aw, who may then authorize you to use them in the restaurant's operation.

Aw retains ownership of any intellectual property rights associated with these developments, including patents, trade secrets, trademarks, service marks, and copyrights. You, your owners, managers, and employees must legally assign the title and rights to these developments to Aw in writing. This means that while you may contribute to improvements or innovations within the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant system, the intellectual property rights and ownership of those innovations ultimately belong to Aw.

This clause ensures that Aw maintains control over the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant system and its intellectual property. As a franchisee, you are obligated to disclose any innovations and assign the rights to Aw. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as it allows the franchisor to maintain consistency and protect its brand identity across all franchise locations. However, it's crucial for prospective franchisees to understand that they will not own the intellectual property rights to any improvements they develop for the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant during the term of the agreement and for six months after.