For Brightstar Care, can I distribute documents and projects created with the software templates commercially?

According to Brightstar Care's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are granted a limited license regarding the use of software templates. Specifically, franchisees may copy and use templates provided with the software to create documents and projects. However, the critical restriction is that franchisees are only allowed to distribute these documents and projects noncommercially.

This means a Brightstar Care franchisee can utilize the software templates for internal purposes and to create materials needed for the operation of their franchise. These materials could include training documents, internal reports, or presentations. However, the franchisee is explicitly prohibited from using these templates to create products or documents that are then sold or distributed for commercial gain.

The restriction on commercial distribution is a significant limitation. It prevents franchisees from leveraging the software templates to develop and sell products or services that compete with Brightstar Care or other businesses. This limitation is likely in place to protect the intellectual property of Microsoft and Brightstar Care, and to ensure that franchisees focus on the core business of providing home care services rather than developing ancillary products for sale. A prospective franchisee should clarify with Brightstar Care what specific uses of the templates would be considered "noncommercially."

It is important to note that the FDD also includes a Microsoft Dynamics GP Software Agreement to be Bound, indicating that franchisees must adhere to Microsoft's licensing terms for the software. These terms may include further restrictions on how the software and its components can be used. Therefore, a potential Brightstar Care franchisee needs to carefully review both the franchise agreement and the Microsoft Dynamics GP Software Agreement to fully understand the scope of their rights and limitations regarding the use of software and templates.