If Bonchon establishes a website for the Bonchon System, who owns the copyrights to the material on the website?
Bonchon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We alone will be, and at all times will remain, the sole owner of the copyrights to all material which appears on any Bonchon website we establish and maintain, including all material you may furnish to us as described above.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 45–60)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bonchon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Bonchon retains sole ownership of the copyrights to all material on any Bonchon website that they establish and maintain. This includes any material that a franchisee might furnish to Bonchon for use on the website.
This means that while franchisees may be required to provide content such as updated copy, photographs, and news stories about their franchised business for use on a "click through" subpage, Bonchon maintains control over the website's content and its copyright. Franchisees do not have any ownership rights to the material appearing on the Bonchon website, even if they contributed to it.
This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as it allows the franchisor to maintain brand consistency and control over the brand's online presence. It also protects the franchisor's intellectual property rights. Bonchon franchisees are prohibited from establishing their own websites or online presence that uses Bonchon's proprietary marks without permission.