What is the Budget licensee's obligation regarding domain names containing Budget marks?
Budget Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
uding any local or special adaptations or artistic variations of any of the Marks), nor may Licensee use any Mark in connection with the sale of any unauthorized product or service, any other business or in any other manner not expressly authorized in writing by Budget. Licensee will not register or apply to register any trademarks or service marks containing or comprising the term Budget, or any of the other Marks, in whole or in part, at any time during or after the term of this Agreement in the United States or anywhere else in the world. Licensee will not use any existing or future Mark or any variation thereof including any symbols or terms confusingly similar thereto, as part of any electronic medium, including a domain name, internet home page, bulletin board, chat-group, buddy list, and URL or electronic address of a website, without Budget's prior written approval. Licensee will not advertise the Rental Business on any other website aside from the authorized Budget website, absent Budget's prior written approval. Licensee may be required to develop and maintain an interior page on Budget's website at Licensee's expense; however, Budget has sole discretion and control over the design and content on or linked to its website and reserves the right to engage third parties to develop, service or otherwise administer its website. For purposes of this Agreement, a "website" is an electronic document contained in a network of computers linked by communications software. Licensee agrees to immediately transfer, without charge, the ownership of any domain names containing the Marks to Budget upon demand. Licensee agrees to display the Marks prominently and in the manner prescribed by Budget on signs, forms, and other materials and articles that Budget designates. Licensee agrees to give such
notices of trademark, service mark and copyright ownership or registration as Budget specifies and to obtain such fictitious or assumed name registrations as may be required under applicable law. If it becomes advisable or desirable at any time in the judgment of Budget for Licensee to modify or discontinue use of any Mark, and/or use one or more additional or substitute Marks, Licensee agrees to do so at its sole cost and expense and in accordance with the schedule prescribed by Budget. Upon expiration or termination of this Agreement, Licensee will immediately cease and desist from all further use of each of the Marks.
- 2.4 Nondisclosure. Licensee acknowledges and agrees that: (a) it has no proprietary or other rights or claims in or to any element of, the System or the Marks;
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 80–426)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Budget's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a licensee cannot use any existing or future mark or any variation thereof, including any symbols or terms confusingly similar, as part of any electronic medium, including a domain name, without Budget's prior written approval. The FDD specifies that a website is an electronic document contained in a network of computers linked by communications software.
Furthermore, the licensee must immediately transfer ownership of any domain names containing Budget marks to Budget upon demand, without any charge. After the termination of the License Agreement, the licensee must take all necessary steps to transfer to Budget all electronic addresses and domain names used in the Rental Business. Budget can also appoint itself as the licensee's attorney to ensure the transfer of domain names after termination of the agreement.
Budget retains sole discretion and control over the design and content of its website and reserves the right to engage third parties to administer it. The licensee may be required to develop and maintain an interior page on Budget's website at the licensee's expense. The licensee is also prohibited from advertising the Rental Business on any website other than the authorized Budget website without prior written approval from Budget. These restrictions ensure that Budget maintains control over its brand and online presence.