If a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee is precluded by law from assigning ownership of an Improvement, what must they do?

According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally required to assign all rights to any Improvement they develop to Bigfoot Forestry or its designee. An "Improvement" is defined as any idea, addition, modification, or enhancement to the services, products, operational methods, processes, marketing, or intellectual property used by a Bigfoot Forestry Business. This includes improvements developed by the franchisee or any other person.

However, if applicable law prevents a franchisee from assigning ownership of an Improvement to Bigfoot Forestry, the franchisee must grant Bigfoot Forestry a perpetual license to use the Improvement. This license must be free of charge and include full rights for Bigfoot Forestry to use, commercialize, and sublicense the Improvement.

This means that even if a franchisee cannot legally transfer ownership, Bigfoot Forestry retains the right to benefit from any Improvement developed in the Bigfoot Forestry system. This ensures that Bigfoot Forestry can maintain consistent standards and benefit from innovations across its franchise network, while also addressing legal limitations on ownership transfer in certain jurisdictions.