Is there an exception to the policy of not compensating public figures for Christies International Real Estate?
Christies_International_Real_Estate Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
icense Agreement or expressly prohibited under the License Agreement, or expressly prohibited from us engaging in under the License Agreement. Without limiting the preceding sentence, we (for ourselves and our affiliates) specifically reserve the right, from any location at any time, without any compensation to you or any other Affiliate and regardless of whether it competes with the Business, the following rights:
- (a) To own and operate, and grant licenses or franchises to others to own and operate, CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE offices outside of the Protected Territory;
- (b) To own and operate, and grant licenses or franchises to others to own and operate, any business of any kind (other than an office located within your Protected Territory selling the same services as a CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE businesses) under the Marks at any locations within or outside of your Protected Territory, including by electronic means such as the Internet, applications, by websites we may establish, catalog sales, telemarketing, or other direct marketing sales;
Source: Item 18 — PUBLIC FIGURES (FDD page 47)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Christies International Real Estate's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisor reserves specific rights without compensating the franchisee or any affiliate. These rights include owning and operating Christies International Real Estate offices outside the Protected Territory, as well as owning, operating, and franchising any business under the Marks, regardless of competition with the franchisee's business. This includes operations through electronic means like the Internet and websites.
Furthermore, Christies International Real Estate secures the right to use the franchisee's, their employees', and their agents' names and likenesses for advertising, trade, and other lawful purposes without providing compensation. This extends to all forms and media.
In practical terms, a Christies International Real Estate franchisee should understand that the franchisor retains broad rights to operate and expand the brand without providing any financial benefit to the franchisee, even if such activities compete directly with the franchisee's business. Additionally, the franchisee grants Christies International Real Estate the right to use their and their personnel's identities for promotional purposes without compensation, which is a standard practice in many franchise systems to leverage the collective brand image.