What happens to any Improvement developed by a Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisee or their personnel?
Benjamin_Franklin_Plumbing Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
1.14. “Improvement” means any change, idea, innovation, concept (including any advertising slogan or idea), product, process, or improvement that may enhance or improve the System.
13.3. Improvements. You may not introduce any Improvement into the Franchised Business without our prior written consent. Any Improvement developed by you or any Owner, employee or agent of Franchisee is the property of Franchisor. At our request, you are required to provide us with information about the Improvement and sign any documents necessary to verify assignment of the Improvement to us, without compensation. We will have the right to use, disclose, and/or license the Improvement for use by others.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 88–312)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Benjamin Franklin Plumbing's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, any Improvement developed by a franchisee or their personnel becomes the property of the franchisor. The FDD defines "Improvement" as any change, idea, innovation, concept, product, process, or improvement that may enhance or improve the Benjamin Franklin Plumbing system.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing requires franchisees to provide information about any Improvement they develop and to sign documents necessary to verify the assignment of the Improvement to the franchisor. This assignment is done without any compensation to the franchisee.
This means that if a franchisee or their team comes up with a new method, tool, or concept that improves the Benjamin Franklin Plumbing system, the franchisor has the right to use, disclose, and license that Improvement to other franchisees in the system without providing any financial benefit or recognition to the originating franchisee. This is a fairly standard clause in franchise agreements, as it allows the franchisor to maintain consistency and control over the brand and system-wide improvements.