What is considered 'Confidential Information' for a Burneys Sweets More franchise?
Burneys_Sweets_More Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Our Brand Standards Manual and other materials contain our and our affiliates' confidential information (some of which constitutes trade secrets under applicable law) (the "Confidential Information"). This information includes any information, not generally known to the public, in any form, relating to the System and the Shop and its operations, including all trade secrets of the Shop; all knowledge, know-how, standards, methods, and procedures related to the establishment and operation of the Shop not generally known to the public; all records pertaining to customers, suppliers, and other service providers of, and/or related in any way to, the Shop (such as all names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses for customers and suppliers; customer purchase records and mail lists); product formulas and recipes, methods of production; electronic code, designs, marketing materials, and business, sales, and marketing strategies; financial information; databases; training materials; knowledge of the franchise system; and any other data and information that we or our affiliates designates as confidential, including all information contained in the Brand Standards Manual.
You must strictly limit your employees' access to the Confidential Information. You must share Confidential Information with them only to the extent they have a "need to know" to perform their jobs. All persons to whom you grant access to the Brand Standards Manual or any other Confidential Information and any person who attends any training program we conduct must sign our form of confidentiality agreement. You must use the Confidential Information only in the manner required by us. You must fully and strictly comply with all security measures required by us for maintaining the confidentiality of the Confidential Information.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 37–39)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Burneys Sweets More's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Confidential Information encompasses a wide array of proprietary details related to the franchise system and shop operations. This includes any non-public information regarding the System and the Shop, trade secrets, knowledge, know-how, standards, methods, and procedures related to the establishment and operation of the Shop. It extends to records pertaining to customers, suppliers, and other service providers, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, customer purchase records, and mail lists.
Furthermore, Confidential Information includes product formulas and recipes, methods of production, electronic code, designs, marketing materials, business, sales, and marketing strategies, financial information, databases, training materials, and knowledge of the franchise system. Any other data and information that Burneys Sweets More or its affiliates designates as confidential, including all information contained in the Brand Standards Manual, also falls under this definition. Franchisees must strictly limit their employees' access to Confidential Information, sharing it only on a need-to-know basis.
Burneys Sweets More requires that anyone granted access to the Brand Standards Manual or any other Confidential Information, as well as anyone attending a training program, must sign a confidentiality agreement. Franchisees are obligated to use the Confidential Information only as required by Burneys Sweets More and must comply with all security measures to maintain its confidentiality. This broad definition and the strict requirements for handling Confidential Information highlight its importance to the Burneys Sweets More franchise system and the need for franchisees to protect it diligently.