Does the Bumper Man franchise agreement grant franchisees any ownership interest in concepts or improvements they create related to the Bumper Man business?
Bumper_Man Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you or any of your principals develop any new concept, process or improvement in the operation or promotion of your Bumper Business, you must notify us and provide us with all information that we may request about the new process or improvement. You and your principals agree that any of these concepts, processes or improvements created in connection with or related to the operation of your Bumper Business are part of the Bumper Man system and will become our sole property and further, that we may use or disclose such concepts processes and improvements to other franchisees as we determine appropriate.
We do not grant you any ownership interest or right with respect to any such concepts, processes or improvements created as a result of your operation of the Bumper Business.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 31–32)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bumper Man's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees do not receive any ownership interest or rights to concepts, processes, or improvements they develop related to their Bumper Man business. The FDD states that if a franchisee or their principals develop any new concept, process, or improvement in the operation or promotion of their Bumper Business, they must notify Bumper Man and provide all requested information about it.
The agreement specifies that any concepts, processes, or improvements created in connection with or related to the operation of the Bumper Business become the sole property of Bumper Man. Bumper Man has the right to use or disclose these concepts, processes, and improvements to other franchisees as they see fit.
This is a fairly standard clause in franchise agreements. Franchisors typically want to maintain control over their brand and system, and this includes any innovations or improvements that franchisees might develop. This allows Bumper Man to ensure consistency across all franchise locations and to leverage successful ideas throughout the system. A prospective franchisee should consider this when evaluating the Bumper Man franchise opportunity, as they will not have any proprietary rights to their innovations within the Bumper Man system.