What documents must a Byrider franchisee sign to evidence Byrider Franchising Partners' ownership of intellectual property?
Byrider Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
All ideas, concepts, techniques, names or materials concerning Byrider Businesses, whether or not they constitute protectable intellectual property, and whether created by or for you or your owners, must be promptly disclosed to Byrider Franchising Partners, and will be deemed to be Byrider Franchising Partners' property and part of its System as works made-for-hire for Byrider Franchising Partners. You and your owners must sign whatever documents Byrider Franchising Partners requests to evidence Byrider Franchising Partners' ownership or to help Byrider Franchising Partners secure intellectual property rights in these ideas, concepts, techniques, names or materials.
Source: Item 14 — (FDD pages 54–55)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Byrider's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees and their owners must sign documents at the request of Byrider Franchising Partners to demonstrate Byrider Franchising Partners' ownership of intellectual property. This requirement extends to any ideas, concepts, techniques, names, or materials related to Byrider businesses, regardless of whether they are protectable or created by the franchisee. These creations are considered "works made-for-hire" for Byrider Franchising Partners, making them part of the Byrider system.
This provision ensures that Byrider Franchising Partners maintains control and ownership over all aspects of the Byrider system. It prevents franchisees from claiming ownership of innovations or adaptations made within their franchise. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as franchisors need to protect their brand and system-wide consistency.
For a prospective franchisee, this means that any improvements or new ideas developed within their Byrider franchise automatically become the property of Byrider Franchising Partners. While franchisees benefit from using the Byrider system and brand, they relinquish intellectual property rights for anything they create related to the business. Franchisees should be aware of this when considering investing in the Byrider franchise.