Who owns the Customer Information obtained from Canine Dimensions franchisees and their customers?
Canine_Dimensions Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 4.8.5 As used herein, "Customer Information" means any information that can be used (alone or in combination with other information) to identify, locate, or contact an individual, or pertains to an identified or identifiable individual.
Customer Information can be in any media or format, including computerized or electronic records and paper-based files. "Privacy Laws" means all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and rules, as they currently exist or may be enacted or amended in the future, that govern the collection, use, storage, protection, disclosure, and management of personal information and data.
This includes, but is not limited to, laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to the extent applicable, and any other similar laws enacted by any state or federal authority in the United States.
- 4.8.6 All Customer Information obtained from Franchisee and collected from Franchised Business customers, along with all revenues derived from such Customer Information, will be Franchisor's
property and Confidential Information. Franchisor may use this information for any reason without compensation to Franchisee, including making financial performance representations in franchise disclosure documents. Franchisee assigns all rights in Customer Information to Franchisor and will provide copies upon request. Franchisor grants Franchisee the right to use Customer Information acquired from customers and other third parties solely in connection with operating the Franchised Business during the Term, as permitted by applicable law. Upon expiration of the Term, all copies of Customer Information must be returned to Franchisor and removed from Franchisee's computer system.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 36)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Canine Dimensions's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Canine Dimensions Franchising, LLC owns all Customer Information obtained from franchisees and collected from the franchised business's customers. The FDD defines "Customer Information" as any data that can identify, locate, or contact an individual, whether in computerized or paper format. This includes information governed by privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Canine Dimensions retains the right to use this Customer Information for any purpose without compensating the franchisee. This includes using the data to make financial performance representations in their franchise disclosure documents. The franchisee is required to assign all rights to the Customer Information to Canine Dimensions and provide copies upon request.
However, Canine Dimensions grants the franchisee a limited right to use Customer Information acquired from customers and other third parties solely for operating the franchised business during the term of the franchise agreement, as long as it complies with applicable laws. Upon the expiration or termination of the franchise agreement, the franchisee must return all copies of the Customer Information to Canine Dimensions and remove it from their computer systems.
This arrangement is fairly typical in franchising, as the franchisor seeks to maintain control over customer data for marketing, analytics, and overall brand consistency. Prospective franchisees should understand that they will not own the customer data they collect and must adhere to Canine Dimensions's policies regarding its use and protection.