Who originally obtained the copyright registrations for B Bops?
B_Bops Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Patents and Copyrights. The Company does not own any rights in, or licenses to any patents and has not applied for any patent protection with respect to any item material to the Franchise. The Company does, however, claim a copyright in the confidential Operations Manual and in the plans and specifications for construction of the unique B-Bop's Restaurant premises. The copyright in the Project Manual containing the plans and specifications has been registered under Registration TX4-033-760 (issued February 21, 1995) and the copyright in the Architectural Work has been registered under Registration VA-690-159 (issued March 1, 1995). Both registrations were originally obtained by B-Bop's and have been assigned to the Company as part of the assignment of the Licensed System from B-Bop's to the Company. The Company intends to renew the copyright registrations prior to their expiration.
The Company has complete discretion in determining whether to take any administrative action regarding any challenges to or infringements of any of its copyrights. The Company has the right to control any proceeding it chooses to bring. The Company does not make any representations or warranties to you regarding any of the Company's copyrights, including that the copyrights do not infringe upon the rights of any other person. The Company is not required to protect your right to use any of the Company's copyrights or to participate in your defense or to indemnify or otherwise protect you against any claims regarding any of the Company's
copyrights or your use of those copyrights, including claims of infringement or unfair competition, and whether or not the claims are brought in an administrative, judicial or other proceeding.
Trade Secrets.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 37–39)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to B Bops's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the copyright registrations for the Project Manual and the Architectural Work were initially obtained by B-Bop's. The copyright in the Project Manual, containing the plans and specifications, was registered under Registration TX4-033-760, issued on February 21, 1995. The copyright in the Architectural Work was registered under Registration VA-690-159, issued on March 1, 1995.
These copyrights were later assigned to the Company as part of the assignment of the Licensed System from B-Bop's to the Company. The document indicates that the Company intends to renew these copyright registrations before they expire. Furthermore, effective March 17, 1995, B-Bop's assigned ownership of the Licensed System, Operations Manual, and Project Manual to the Company, enabling the Company to franchise the B Bops Restaurant concept. A separate copyright assignment from B-Bop's to the Company for the Operations Manual and Project Manual was executed on October 3, 1995.
As partial consideration for the assignment, the Company entered into a license agreement with B-Bop's, granting B-Bop's a license to use the Licensed System, Licensed Marks, Project Manual, and Operations Manual, subject to certain restrictions and limitations. This agreement is further detailed in Item 13 of the FDD under "Material Agreements".
For a prospective franchisee, this means that while B Bops (the original entity) initially held the copyrights, the current franchisor (referred to as "the Company" in the FDD) now owns and manages these copyrights. Franchisees should be aware that they are granted the right to use these materials under the terms of their franchise agreement, but they do not own the underlying intellectual property.