What are Brightstar Care franchisees prohibited from doing with Internet domain names related to the Brightstar Care brand?
Brightstar_Care Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
8.5.2 We are the lawful, rightful, and sole owner of the Internet domain names www.brightstarcare.com and www.careers.brightstarcare.com (as described in Section 1.6.3), and any other Internet domain names we register. You unconditionally disclaim any ownership interest in those or any similar Internet domain name. You may not register any Internet domain name in any class or category that contains words used in or similar to any brand name owned by us or our affiliates, the names or likeness of any BrightStar Franchising, LLC executive or employee or BrightStar Technology Group, LLC executive or employee, or any abbreviation, acronym, phonetic variation, or visual variation of those words.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 117–118)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Brightstar Care's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are restricted from registering Internet domain names that are similar to Brightstar Care's brand. Brightstar Care retains ownership of its domain names, including www.brightstarcare.com and www.careers.brightstarcare.com. Franchisees explicitly disclaim any ownership interest in these or similar domain names.
Specifically, a Brightstar Care franchisee is prohibited from registering any domain name that contains words used in or similar to any brand name owned by Brightstar Care or its affiliates. This restriction also extends to the names or likenesses of any BrightStar Franchising, LLC or BrightStar Technology Group, LLC executives or employees. The prohibition includes any abbreviation, acronym, phonetic variation, or visual variation of those words or names.
This policy ensures that Brightstar Care maintains control over its brand identity and online presence. By preventing franchisees from registering similar domain names, Brightstar Care reduces the risk of customer confusion and protects its brand reputation. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as franchisors need to protect their trademarks and online presence.