What is a Cicis franchisee required to provide to the franchisor regarding the Marks?
Cicis Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- B.
Use of the Marks.
With respect to your use of the Marks licensed pursuant to this Agreement:
- (1) Unless we otherwise authorize or require, you will operate and advertise your Restaurant only under the name "Cicis" without prefix or suffix.
However, you will not sign any legal documents or contracts referring to you simply as "Cicis." You will not use the Marks as part of your corporate or other legal name.
- (2) You must, at all times, identify yourself as the independent owner of your Restaurant and not do anything to indicate that you are our affiliate, including uses on invoices, order forms, receipts, and contracts.
At a minimum, you must display a notice to that effect, in such content and form and at such conspicuous locations as we may designate from time to time.
(3) You will not use the Marks to incur any obligation or indebtedness on our behalf.
(4) You will use the trade name we assign to your Restaurant and will comply with all applicable Laws related to the filing of trade name or fictitious name registrations.
You will also execute any documents we deem necessary to obtain protection of the Marks or to maintain their continued validity and enforceability.
- (5) We or our affiliates are the lawful, rightful, and sole owner of the Internet domains named "www.cicispizza.com," "www.cicis.com," and any other Internet domain names we register, and you hereby unconditionally disclaim any ownership interest in those or any colorably similar Internet domain name.
You will not register any Internet domain name in any class or category that contains words used in or similar to any brand name we or our affiliates own or any abbreviation, acronym, phonetic variation, or visual variation of those words.
- (6) You will not use the Marks or any abbreviation or other name associated with us or the System as part of any e-mail address, domain name, or other identification of you in any electronic medium.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 64–65)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cicis's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must adhere to several requirements regarding the use of Cicis's trademarks and brand elements, referred to as the "Marks." Franchisees must operate and advertise their restaurants solely under the name "Cicis" unless otherwise authorized or required by the company, and they cannot use the Marks as part of their legal corporate name. Franchisees are also required to identify themselves as independent owners of their restaurants and must not represent themselves as affiliates of Cicis. This includes displaying a notice to that effect in a form and location designated by Cicis.
Furthermore, franchisees cannot use the Marks to incur any obligations or debts on behalf of Cicis. They must use the trade name assigned to their restaurant and comply with all applicable laws related to trade name or fictitious name registrations. Franchisees are also obligated to execute any documents Cicis deems necessary to protect the Marks or maintain their validity and enforceability. The document explicitly states that Cicis or its affiliates are the sole owners of internet domains such as "www.cicispizza.com" and "www.cicis.com," and franchisees must disclaim any ownership interest in these or similar domain names.
Finally, franchisees are prohibited from registering any internet domain name that contains words used in or similar to Cicis's brand names, including abbreviations, acronyms, or variations. They also cannot use the Marks or any associated names as part of any email address, domain name, or other electronic identification. These stipulations are designed to protect Cicis's brand identity and prevent any potential confusion or misuse of its intellectual property.