Is a Beggars Pizza franchisee allowed to register a domain name containing the Proprietary Marks?
Beggars_Pizza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
nominal party to any legal action. Except to the extent that such litigation is the result of Franchisee's use of the Proprietary Marks in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the Agreement, Franchisor will reimburse Franchisee for its out-of-pocket costs in doing such acts; and
- 8.2.9 Franchisee will not attempt to register or otherwise obtain any interest in any Internet domain name or URL containing any of the Proprietary Marks or any other word, name, symbol, or device which is likely to cause confusion with any of the Proprietary Marks.
- 8.3 Acknowledgements. Franchisee expressly understands and acknowledges that:
- 8.3.1 Franchisor is the owner of all right, title, and interest in and to the Proprietary Marks and the goodwill associated with and symbolized by them, and Franchisor has the right to use, and license others to use, the Proprietary Marks;
- 8.3.2 The Proprietary Marks are valid and serve to identify the System and those who are authorized to operate under the System;
- 8.3.3 During the term of the Agreement and after its expiration or termination, Franchisee will not directly or indirectly contest the validity of the Trademark Owner's ownership of, or Franchisor's right to use and to license others to use, the Proprietary Marks;
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 39)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Beggars Pizza's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally prohibited from registering domain names that contain the company's proprietary marks. Specifically, section 8.2.9 of the franchise agreement states that a franchisee cannot attempt to register or obtain any interest in an internet domain name or URL containing any of the Proprietary Marks. This restriction is in place to protect the Beggars Pizza brand and prevent customer confusion.
However, section 8.9 outlines a specific exception where Beggars Pizza may grant approval for a franchisee to use a generic, national, or regionalized domain name. In such cases, Beggars Pizza retains ownership and control of the domain name and licenses it to the franchisee for the term of the agreement. The franchisee may also be required to reimburse Beggars Pizza for associated costs. Furthermore, if a franchisee already owns or registers any domain names, they must notify Beggars Pizza in writing and assign the domain names to Beggars Pizza or a designated party.
In addition to these restrictions, section 8.10 states that franchisees cannot use the Proprietary Marks or any abbreviation or other name associated with Beggars Pizza as part of any email address, domain name, or other identification in any electronic medium. This provision further reinforces Beggars Pizza's control over its brand identity in the digital space. A prospective franchisee should discuss domain name options with Beggars Pizza directly to fully understand the scope of these restrictions and any potential opportunities for approved domain name usage.