After termination of the Christies International Real Estate agreement, what must a franchisee do regarding the brand's marks?
Christies_International_Real_Estate Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
As further described in Section 6.4 of this Agreement, you must not register, as Internet domain names, any of the Marks or any abbreviation, acronym or variation of the Marks, or any other name that could be deemed confusingly similar without our prior written approval.
You hereby agree that upon expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement, you will immediately remove from your independent website all Marks or any abbreviations, acronyms or variations of the Marks, or any other name that could be deemed confusingly similar and to de-brand and de-identify as an affiliate of CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE.
Further, if your domain name contains any abbreviations, acronyms, or variations of the Marks, upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement, you shall promptly assign or redirect (or cause to be assigned or redirected) to us all rights and access to your domain name or URL.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 54–177)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Christies International Real Estate FDD, upon the expiration or earlier termination of the franchise agreement, a franchisee must immediately remove all Christies International Real Estate marks, abbreviations, acronyms, or variations of the marks from their independent website. They must also de-brand and de-identify as an affiliate of Christies International Real Estate.
Furthermore, if the franchisee's domain name contains any abbreviations, acronyms, or variations of the Christies International Real Estate marks, they must promptly assign or redirect all rights and access to their domain name or URL to Christies International Real Estate. This ensures that the franchisee no longer represents themselves as being associated with the brand after the agreement ends.
These requirements are typical in franchising to protect the brand's identity and prevent confusion in the marketplace. By ensuring that franchisees cease using the trademarks and associated branding upon termination, Christies International Real Estate maintains control over its brand and prevents former franchisees from potentially benefiting from the brand's reputation without authorization.