Who owns the copyrights to advertising and promotional materials submitted by a Bumper Man franchisee, regardless of approval?

According to Bumper Man's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Bumper Man retains ownership of all intellectual property rights related to the franchise. Specifically, Franchisor will be the sole owner of all right, title and interest in and to any Intellectual Property created as a result of or related to the operation of the Bumper Business and any improvements, modifications or derivative works of Franchisee's operation of the Bumper Business in compliance with the Standards or other activities under this Agreement. Franchisor does not grant Franchisee any ownership interest or right with respect to any Intellectual Property created as a result of Franchisee's operation of the Bumper Business. A default under or termination of this Agreement will not impact Franchisor's rights in the Intellectual Property.

This means that any advertising or promotional materials created by a franchisee, even if submitted independently, become the property of Bumper Man. The franchisee does not gain any ownership or rights to these materials. This is a common practice in franchising, as it allows the franchisor to maintain control over the brand's image and marketing efforts.

This clause ensures that Bumper Man can maintain a consistent brand image and protect its intellectual property rights. It also prevents franchisees from independently marketing the business in ways that could harm the brand or create confusion among customers. Prospective franchisees should be aware that they will not own any of the intellectual property they create for the business and should carefully consider this before investing in a Bumper Man franchise.