What rights of ownership does Beggars Pizza acquire in the SpeedLine software?
Beggars_Pizza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
OWNERSHIP: The Software is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. SpeedLine owns and will at all times retain exclusive ownership of all rights, title, and interests, including copyrights and all other intellectual property rights, in and to the Software, the Documentation, and any copies of the Software or Documentation. The Customer acquires only the right to use the Software for the term of this Agreement and does not acquire any rights of ownership in the Software. The Software is licensed, not sold.
COPIES: The Customer may make one (1) copy of the Installed Software for backup purposes. No other copies shall be made in any form or medium without prior written consent from the President of SpeedLine or other authorized personnel at SpeedLine designated by the President as having such authority ("authorized personnel"). You may not copy the Documentation accompanying the Software in any form or medium.
PERMITTED USES, RESTRICTED USES: The Customer may only use the Software for the intended purpose of a retail point-of-sale solution and related
solutions and as permitted by this Agreement. The Customer may not copy (except as provided in the "Copies" section above), reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, decrypt, modify, adapt, or translate the Software in any way, or merge the Software into any other computer program material, or re-write
the Software into any different computer program language. Use of the Software to test or improve a competing software package without prior written approval from authorized personnel at SpeedLine is a violation of this Agreement. The Customer may not (a) sell, rent, lease, license, transfer, lend or give away the Software; or (b) "frame" or "mirror" the Online Services.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 39–192)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Beggars Pizza's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees do not acquire any ownership rights to the SpeedLine software. The FDD states that SpeedLine retains exclusive ownership of all rights, title, and interests, including copyrights and all other intellectual property rights, in the software, documentation, and any copies. Beggars Pizza franchisees only obtain the right to use the software for the term of their agreement; the software is licensed, not sold.
This means that while franchisees can use the SpeedLine software to operate their Beggars Pizza business, they cannot claim any ownership over it. They are essentially renting the software for the duration of their franchise agreement. This is a common practice in franchising, where franchisors often license software and other intellectual property to franchisees.
Beggars Pizza franchisees are permitted to make one copy of the installed software for backup purposes. However, they are restricted from making any other copies without prior written consent from SpeedLine. Additionally, franchisees cannot reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, or adapt the software in any way. They are also prohibited from selling, renting, leasing, licensing, transferring, lending, or giving away the software. These restrictions ensure that SpeedLine maintains control over its intellectual property and prevents unauthorized use or distribution of the software.