What steps must I take to prevent disclosure of Aw's confidential information?
Aw Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
responding intellectual property rights are assigned to us.
You may not use our confidential information (as defined in the Franchise Agreement) in any unauthorized manner. You must take reasonable steps to prevent disclosure of our confidential information to others, including having your managers and employees sign a confidentiality agreement. All of your managers and other employees who attend our training programs, seminars or conferences and/or have access to the confidential information must maintain the confidentiality of that information and sign a confidentiality agreement in a form approved by us. You must provide us with copies of the signed confidentiality agreements before the manager or employees receives training.
There are currently no effective determinations of the Copyright Office (Library of Congress) or any court regarding any of the copyrighted materials. There are no agreements currently in effect which significantly limit our right to use or license the use of any copyrighted materials. There are no infringing uses actually known to us which could materially affect a franchisee's use of the copyrighted materials in any state. We are not required by any agreement to protect or defend copyrights, trade secrets or confidential information, although we intend to take whatever action, we deem necessary to protect the best interests of Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant System.
Item 15 OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRANCHISE BUSINESS
You (or your Owner) must at all times perform the obligations under the Franchise Agreement, exert your best efforts to promote and enhance the business of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant and/or to affect the widest and best possible distribution of products and services from your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant.
Under the Franchise Agreement, you are not required to personally supervise the operations of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant; however, your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant must at all times be under the direct, day-to-day, full-time, supervision of either you or, if you are an entity, an approved Owner who has satisfactorily completed our initial training program, or a manager who has satisfactorily completed our training program. If a manager supervises your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, you or your approved Owner must remain active in overseeing the operations of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant conducted under the supervision of the manager. The manager of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant does not need to have an equity interest in your Papa Ray's Pizza
Restaurant but, must maintain the confidentiality of any of our confidential information to which he or she has access and managers must sign an agreement to maintain said confidentiality in a form approved by us.
You must maintain a staff of trained employees and managers sufficient to operate your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant in compliance with our standards and to provide proper customer service during all hours of operation.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD page 32)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Aw's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must take reasonable steps to prevent the disclosure of Aw's confidential information. This includes having managers and employees sign a confidentiality agreement. All managers and other employees who attend Aw's training programs, seminars, or conferences, and/or have access to confidential information, must maintain the confidentiality of that information and sign a confidentiality agreement in a form approved by Aw. Franchisees must provide Aw with copies of the signed confidentiality agreements before the manager or employees receive training.
Aw also requires franchisees to disclose to them any ideas, concepts, methods, techniques, or improvements relating to the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant. All of that information will become part of Aw's confidential information, and all corresponding intellectual property rights must be assigned to Aw.
Franchisees also agree to implement all reasonable procedures Aw may prescribe to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information, including restrictions on disclosure to employees and the use of non-disclosure and/or non-competition agreements Aw may prescribe for employees. Aw retains the right to require that such agreements be signed by employees, to prescribe the form of agreement used, and to receive copies of signed agreements to ensure adequate protection of confidential information.