Can a Clear Pest Pros franchisee use the Marks on their own designed website?
Clear_Pest_Pros Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
es, uniforms, equipment, containers, fixtures, signs, stationary, advertising, sales/promotional materials, and such other objects, in such size, color, lettering style and fashion, and at such places as we may designate in the Operations Manual.
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- You promise to not use the Marks, or any words or symbols confusingly similar to them, as part of any corporate or other legal name or with any prefix, suffix, or other modifying words, terms, designs, or symbols. You may not use the Marks in connection with the sale of any unauthorized product or service, on an Internet website of your own design, or in any other manner not explicitly authorized in writing by us.
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- Except as expressly provided in the Operations Manual, you may not display any other trademarks, logotypes, symbols, or service marks, nor may you use any other marks in connection with the Marks, or with the Clear Pest Pros Business, without our prior written approval.
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- You promise that all advertising and promotional materials that you use will bear the appropriate "SM," "TM," "®," or "©" registration symbol and/or such other appropriate notice of ownership, registration, or copyright as we may require.
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- You promise to submit to us, for our approval, the assumed or trade name (the "DBA") you intend to use in the operation of the Clear Pest Pros Business before filing for it as required by local laws. We may approve or disapprove such DBA at our discretion. All filings or affidavits, following your receipt from us of an approved DBA, must state that the filing or affidavit is made as "a franchisee of Clear Pest Pros." The approved DBA is the only DBA that you may use. You may not use a different name under any circumstances, including as a domain name, URL address, marketing, or for any other function.
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- We, or our parent, is the lawful and sole owner of the domain name www.CLEARPESTPROS.com. You cannot register any of the Marks that are now or in the future owned by us or any abbreviation, acronym or variation of the Marks, or any other name that could be deemed confusingly similar, as Internet domain names. We retain the sole right to advertise the System on the Internet and to create, operate, maintain and modify, or discontinue use of any website using the Marks. You may access our website. Except as we authorize in writing in advance, you may not: (i) link or frame our website;
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 67–68)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Clear Pest Pros's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally prohibited from using the Marks on a website of their own design. The FDD states that franchisees "may not use the Marks in connection with the sale of any unauthorized product or service, on an Internet website of your own design, or in any other manner not explicitly authorized in writing" by Clear Pest Pros. This restriction is in place to ensure brand consistency and control over how the Clear Pest Pros brand is presented to the public.
Clear Pest Pros retains the sole right to advertise the System on the Internet and to create, operate, maintain, modify, or discontinue any website using the Marks. Franchisees are permitted to access the franchisor's website, but they are restricted from linking or framing the website, conducting business, offering to sell or advertise any products or services on the web, or creating/registering any Internet domain names in connection with their Clear Pest Pros Business, unless explicitly authorized in writing. The only exception is that franchisees may list their Clear Pest Pros Business in an online directory.
Clear Pest Pros also requires franchisees to use, subscribe to, and pay for a customized website connected to the franchisor's website and managed by their website provider. Franchisees are prohibited from redirecting traffic from this customized website or implementing their own website or URL for the Clear Pest Pros Business. The franchisor maintains sole discretion and control over the website's timing, design, content, and continuation. Franchisees are, however, required to establish and maintain a separate profile, page, or other presence on social media for the Business in accordance with the System Standards, with prior written approval of the content to be posted. Upon termination or expiration of the Franchise Agreement, all social media pages and associated passwords must be transferred to the franchisor.