What rights does Bigfoot Forestry retain regarding the email addresses provided to the Bigfoot Forestry franchisee?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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- Technology; and (ii) acknowledge your sole recourse for any liabilities, losses, damages or expenses you incur due to improperly functioning Third-Party Technology shall be against the owner or licensor of such Third-Party Technology.
- (e) Email Accounts. At no additional charge, we will provide you with a certain number of BIGFOOT FORESTRY® email addresses. We may charge you our then-current fee for each additional email address you request (this fee is added to the technology fee described in §11.11(f) below).
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 42–162)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, while franchisees are provided with Bigfoot Forestry email addresses, Bigfoot Forestry retains ownership of those email addresses and accounts. Franchisees are permitted to use these email addresses during the term of their agreement with Bigfoot Forestry.
Bigfoot Forestry provides a certain number of email addresses at no additional charge. However, Bigfoot Forestry may charge its then-current fee for any additional email address requested by the franchisee. This fee would be added to the technology fee.
The franchisee must exclusively use the Bigfoot Forestry email addresses for all communications with Bigfoot Forestry, customers, suppliers, and other persons related to their Bigfoot Forestry Business. The franchisee is prohibited from using the email addresses for any purpose unrelated to their Bigfoot Forestry Business. This ensures that all business-related communications are conducted through channels owned and controlled by Bigfoot Forestry, allowing them to monitor and maintain brand consistency.
This arrangement allows Bigfoot Forestry to maintain control over its brand's communication channels and customer data. Upon termination of the franchise agreement, the franchisee will no longer have the right to use the email addresses, ensuring a clean break and preventing potential misuse of the Bigfoot Forestry brand. Prospective franchisees should consider the implications of not owning their business email addresses, particularly in terms of customer relationships and data portability, and should inquire about the 'then-current fee' for additional email addresses.