What items does Clear Pest Pros claim copyrights in?
Clear_Pest_Pros Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You do not receive the right to use any item covered by a patent. There are no pending patent applications that are material to the franchise. We do not own any registered copyrights which are material to the franchise; however, we claim copyrights in the Operations Manuals, System Standards, advertising materials, Clear Pest Pros CRM, business forms, videos, CDs and other printed and advertising material used in operating the System. We have not registered these copyrights with the United States Registrar of Copyrights. You must use these items only in the way we specify and only while operating your Clear Pest Pros Business. You must comply if we require you to modify or discontinue using material of any of our copyrights and in such an event, we are not obligated to compensate you.
The Operations Manuals and System Standards are described in Item 11. You can use the proprietary information contained in the System Standards in connection with the operation of your Clear Pest Pros Business. Although we have not filed an application for a copyright registration for the Operations Manuals or System Standards, we claim a copyright, and the information is proprietary. Item 11 describes limitations on the use of the Operations Manuals by you and your employees. You must promptly tell us if you learn about unauthorized use of our proprietary information. We are not obligated to take any action but will respond to this information as we think appropriate.
There currently are no effective determinations of the Copyright Office (Library of Congress) or any court regarding any of the copyrighted materials. There are no agreements currently in effect that significantly limit our right to use or allow others to use the copyrighted materials. We do not actually know of any infringing uses that could materially affect your use of the copyrighted materials
in any state. We need not protect or defend copyrights, although we may do so when this action is, in our opinion, in the best interest of the System.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 55–56)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Clear Pest Pros's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, while the company does not own any registered copyrights material to the franchise, it claims copyrights in several items. These include the Operations Manuals, System Standards, advertising materials, the Clear Pest Pros CRM, business forms, videos, CDs, and other printed and advertising material used in operating the Clear Pest Pros system. It is important to note that these copyrights have not been registered with the United States Registrar of Copyrights.
As a Clear Pest Pros franchisee, you are permitted to use these copyrighted items only as specified by Clear Pest Pros and only while operating your franchise. Clear Pest Pros retains the right to require you to modify or discontinue the use of any of their copyrighted material, and they are not obligated to compensate you in such cases. The Operations Manuals and System Standards contain proprietary information that you can use in connection with your Clear Pest Pros Business.
Clear Pest Pros states that there are no current determinations from the Copyright Office or any court regarding these copyrighted materials, nor are there any agreements limiting their right to use or allow others to use the materials. While Clear Pest Pros is not obligated to protect or defend these copyrights, they may choose to do so if they believe it is in the best interest of the Clear Pest Pros system. As a franchisee, you must inform Clear Pest Pros of any unauthorized use of their proprietary information, though they are not obligated to take any action.