In what manner should an Aw franchisee display the Marks?
Aw Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 7.2 Limitations On Your Use of Marks. You agree to use the Marks as the sole identification of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, except that you must display at your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, in a form we prescribe, notices identifying yourself as the independent owner of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant pursuant to a Franchise Agreement with us. You may not use or register any Mark as part of any corporate or trade name or with any prefix, suffix or other modifying words, terms, designs or symbols (other than logos and additional trademarks and service marks licensed to you under this Agreement), or in any modified form. You may not apply to register or register any Mark in any forum. You may not use any Mark in connection with the sale of any unauthorized product or service or in any other manner we have not expressly authorized in writing. You agree to display the Marks prominently and in the manner we prescribe in operating your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, including signs and forms, and in connection with advertising and promotional materials. You also agree to use only notices of trademark or service mark registrations and copyrights as we specify and to obtain any fictitious or assumed name or "doing business as" registrations that are required under applicable law.
- 7.3 Use of Marks on the Internet. We and our affiliate have developed a web site (the "Papa Ray's Pizza Website"). We and our affiliate may market and sell from the Papa Ray's Pizza Website various products and services worldwide that may compete with you and other franchisees within and outside the Protected Area. Papa Ray's Pizza Website as it may be developed and changed from time to time is the sole property of the Company or its affiliate. We will provide to you a page on or page linked to the Papa Ray's Pizza Website. The specifications, standards and procedures you must follow for developing and maintaining a page on Papa Ray's Pizza Website shall be set forth in the Operations Manual or otherwise in writing. All content on your page on the Papa Ray's Pizza Website is subject to our prior written approval.
You shall not obtain any domain names/URL addresses for the Internet incorporating the Marks or create, develop, maintain and/or use your own web site on the Internet using any of the Marks. You shall not use any of the Marks on the Internet in any directory listing or advertising without our prior written consent. You shall not make any reference to or any association with the Marks on any social media site, social or professional network, blog, or other on-line venue or in any other manner on the Internet without our prior written consent. If any of the foregoing uses is specifically permitted by us, your use must conform completely to all of our applicable standards and procedures as set forth in the Operations Manual or otherwise in writing.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 39–40)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Aw's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must use the Marks as the sole identification of their Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant. However, franchisees must also display notices identifying themselves as the independent owner of their Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, pursuant to the Franchise Agreement with Aw, in a form that Aw prescribes. Franchisees cannot use or register any Mark as part of any corporate or trade name or with any prefix, suffix or other modifying words, terms, designs or symbols (other than logos and additional trademarks and service marks licensed to you under this Agreement), or in any modified form. Additionally, franchisees cannot apply to register or register any Mark in any forum.
Aw franchisees are prohibited from using any Mark in connection with the sale of any unauthorized product or service or in any other manner that Aw has not expressly authorized in writing. Franchisees must display the Marks prominently and in the manner that Aw prescribes when operating their Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, including on signs and forms, and in connection with advertising and promotional materials. Franchisees also agree to use only notices of trademark or service mark registrations and copyrights as Aw specifies and to obtain any fictitious or assumed name or "doing business as" registrations that are required under applicable law.
Aw also has specific rules regarding internet usage of the Marks. Franchisees cannot obtain any domain names/URL addresses for the Internet incorporating the Marks or create, develop, maintain and/or use their own web site on the Internet using any of the Marks. They also cannot use any of the Marks on the Internet in any directory listing or advertising without Aw's prior written consent. Franchisees cannot make any reference to or any association with the Marks on any social media site, social or professional network, blog, or other on-line venue or in any other manner on the Internet without Aw's prior written consent. If any of the foregoing uses is specifically permitted by Aw, the franchisee's use must conform completely to all of Aw's applicable standards and procedures as set forth in the Operations Manual or otherwise in writing.