Are Canine Dimensions employees obligated to maintain the secrecy of Confidential Information?
Canine_Dimensions Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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- Employee acknowledges and agrees that Employer is engaged in a highly competitive business and that Employer and Franchisor (as defined below) possess trade secrets, confidential and proprietary information (the "Confidential Information") which have been acquired, developed and maintained at considerable cost to Employer and Franchisor, which is not generally known outside the companies, and which, if disclosed to a competitor, would be harmful to Employer and/or Franchisor. For the purposes of this Agreement, "Franchisor" shall be defined to include Canine Dimensions Franchising, LLC, whose principal place of business is 23208 Sanabria Loop, Bonita Springs, Florida 34135. This Confidential Information includes, but is not limited to the following:
- a. price lists and marketing plans and strategies;
- b. proprietary computer software functions, capabilities, code, manuals, fixes, work arounds, revision plans, etc.;
- c. customer lists, customer identities, customer contacts and customer preferences (including identities and plans for approaching potential customers);
- d. any and all information contained in the Confidential Manual;
- e. all forms, instructions, processes, procedures, graphics, pictures, diagrams associated with operation of the Franchised Business;
- f. suppliers and vendors of Franchisor.
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- Employee understands and acknowledges that during the course of his employment by the Employer he has learned of, will learn of (and may develop), and has and will have access to Confidential Information of the Employer and Franchisor in order to properly and effectively discharge his duties.
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- Employee hereby agrees that at all times, both during Employee's employment and after the termination thereof (for whatever reason, and whether voluntary or not), Employee will maintain the secrecy and confidentiality of the Confidential Information and that he will not reveal, disclose, divulge or make known to any person or entity, or copy or use for his own account, any of the Confidential Information as defined above.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 36)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Canine Dimensions' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, employees are obligated to maintain the secrecy of Confidential Information. The agreement specifies that Canine Dimensions and its franchisor possess trade secrets, confidential, and proprietary information that has been acquired, developed, and maintained at considerable cost. This information is not generally known outside the company, and its disclosure to a competitor would be harmful to Canine Dimensions and/or its franchisor. Confidential Information includes price lists, marketing plans, proprietary computer software, customer lists, information contained in the Confidential Manual, forms, processes, and supplier/vendor lists.
The agreement states that employees understand they will learn of, develop, and have access to Confidential Information during their employment. As such, employees agree to maintain the secrecy and confidentiality of the Confidential Information at all times, both during and after their employment, regardless of the reason for termination. They are prohibited from revealing, disclosing, divulging, or making known any of the Confidential Information to any person or entity, or copying or using it for their own account.
This obligation ensures that Canine Dimensions protects its competitive advantage and proprietary business methods. For a prospective franchisee, this means that their employees will be legally bound to protect sensitive business information, reducing the risk of leaks to competitors. Franchisees should ensure their employees fully understand and agree to these confidentiality terms as part of their employment agreement.