What specific materials acquired during the Bhc franchise relationship must not be used after termination?
Bhc Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
In the event of termination, cancellation or expiration of this Agreement whether by reason of Franchisee's breach, default, non-renewal, lapse of time or other cause, in addition to any other
obligations provided for in this Agreement, Franchisee must forthwith discontinue the use or display of the Marks in any manner whatsoever, and Franchisee may not thereafter operate or do business under the Marks or any other BHC brand or any other name or in any manner that might tend to give the general public the impression that Franchisee is in any way associated or affiliated with Franchisor, or any of the businesses conducted by Franchisor or the Owner of the Marks, including without limitation repainting the business premises in a distinctively different color and removing or rearranging distinctive elements of the Trade Dress. Franchisee must contact online review sites and other online directories and websites which have made reference to Franchisee's Franchised BHC Restaurant during the 18 months prior to the date this Agreement terminates, is cancelled, or expires, and request the removal of all use of the trademarks in connection with the former BHC Franchised BHC Restaurant (and the physical address of the former Franchised BHC Restaurant) and all use of former reviews from the period Franchisee was a BHC franchisee. And, Franchisee also must comply with section 15.2 respecting the return to Franchisor of certain materials and must not thereafter use, in any manner, or for any purpose, directly or indirectly, any of the Proprietary Information, Trade Secrets, procedures, techniques, or materials acquired by Franchisee by virtue of the relationship established by this Agreement, including, without limitation, (i) any training or other materials, manuals, bulletins, instruction sheets, or supplements thereto, or (ii) any equipment, videotapes, videodiscs, forms, advertising matter, devices, insignias, slogans or designs used from time to time in connection with the Franchised Business.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 52–230)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bhc's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, upon termination of the franchise agreement, a franchisee is prohibited from using specific materials acquired during the franchise relationship. This includes any Proprietary Information, Trade Secrets, procedures, techniques, or materials obtained due to the franchise agreement.
Specifically, Bhc franchisees must not use training materials, manuals, bulletins, instruction sheets, or supplements. Additionally, franchisees are barred from using any equipment, videotapes, videodiscs, forms, advertising matter, devices, insignias, slogans, or designs that were used while operating the Bhc franchised business.
This obligation extends to preventing any impression that the franchisee is still associated with Bhc after termination. Franchisees must also update online review sites to remove references to the trademarks and reviews from the period they were a Bhc franchisee. These measures ensure the protection of Bhc's brand and operational methods, preventing any potential misuse of confidential information or materials by former franchisees.
In addition to ceasing the use of specific materials, franchisees must also return all copies of the Operations Manual and other proprietary materials to Bhc. They are also required to erase any data related to Bhc or the franchised business from any computers or storage devices they retain after the termination of the agreement.