Is a Cinnaholic franchisee allowed to use the Marks in any part of a domain name or electronic address?
Cinnaholic Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisee may not use any of the Marks in any part of any domain name or electronic address or any similar proprietary or common carrier electronic delivery system.
Franchisee will not seek to register, or assert any claim of ownership or usage rights to, any domain name or electronic address incorporating any of the Marks or any names confusingly similar to the Marks.
Franchisee agrees, at the request of Franchisor, to take all necessary steps to assign to Franchisor all rights in or to such domain names and electronic addresses (and any registrations for the foregoing) that Franchisee may acquire.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 61–62)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cinnaholic's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are explicitly prohibited from using any of Cinnaholic's trademarks (the "Marks") in any part of a domain name or electronic address. This restriction is in place to protect Cinnaholic's brand identity and ensure consistent representation across all digital platforms.
This means a franchisee cannot register a domain name like "cinnaholic-yourcity.com" or use "cinnaholic.email@gmail.com" for business purposes. All online branding and presence must adhere strictly to the guidelines set by Cinnaholic. Franchisees are also barred from seeking to register or claim ownership of any domain name or electronic address that incorporates Cinnaholic's Marks or anything confusingly similar.
Furthermore, if a franchisee does acquire a domain name or electronic address that includes Cinnaholic's Marks, they must take all necessary steps to assign the rights to that domain name or electronic address to Cinnaholic at Cinnaholic's request. This underscores Cinnaholic's complete control over its brand's online representation and prevents franchisees from creating potentially confusing or dilutive online presences. This policy is typical in franchising, where brand consistency is paramount.