What is the Coffee News franchisee's obligation regarding compliance with laws and regulations?
Coffee_News Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ding the wording "Coffee News," a space, and then end with the city in which the Franchisee is located. (e.g. "Coffee News_ Maine.")
3. Compliance with laws, regulations and third-party terms
The Franchisees are obligated to comply with all laws and regulations that are applicable to the use of social media. The Franchisees are prohibited from actions including without limitation defaming or disparaging competitors, customers, employees, suppliers, subcontractors, or Coffee News; harassing employees, customers, or any other individuals or entities; using copyrighted materials, trademarks or other proprietary materials in an infringing manner; discriminating against employment applicants, violating privacy laws and policies or otherwise misusing the proprietary information of others; or violating laws or other ethical standards, such as fraud or misrepresentation. All posts by the Franchisees on the site must be truthful and not misleading. The Franchisees are not encouraged to mention their competitors on the site, but if they do, the Franchisees must follow the guidelines contained in this Policy.
4. Confidential information
The Franchisees may not use or post the confidential and/or proprietary information of Coffee News pursuant to the Coffee News Franchise Agreement, or breach any other restrictions on confidentiality or disclosure. Additionally, the Franchisees may not comment on legal matters, or private matters internal to the Coffee News franchise system. Further, the Franchisees need to carefully review the content of the site before publishing or posting and may not disclose proprietary information of their clients, customers or suppliers, or use the names of clients, customers or suppliers without permission.
5.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 36–118)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Coffee News' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are responsible for adhering to all laws and regulations applicable to their social media usage. This includes avoiding actions such as defaming competitors, harassment, infringing on copyrighted materials, discrimination, violating privacy laws, or engaging in fraud. Franchisees must ensure all their online posts are truthful and not misleading.
Coffee News franchisees must also comply with the FTC's endorsement guidelines if they are compensated to promote a product, disclosing any such relationships in their posts. Franchisees cannot post or use confidential or proprietary information of Coffee News, comment on legal or private matters internal to the Coffee News system, or disclose proprietary information of their clients without permission. They are responsible for the content they post on social media and must comply with all relevant laws, regulations, and third-party site terms.
Coffee News does not monitor franchisees' compliance with these laws and regulations, and any approval by Coffee News of social media use does not guarantee compliance. Franchisees are responsible for ensuring their employees and representatives also comply with these requirements. Coffee News retains ownership of the goodwill generated from franchisees' social media accounts and reserves the right to remove content that violates the Social Media Policy or any laws or regulations.
These policies are subject to change as technology evolves, requiring franchisees to stay informed and adapt accordingly. Franchisees are encouraged to follow general guidelines, such as being professional, honest, and respectful in their online interactions, and to avoid posting defamatory, harassing, or indecent material. If unsure about posting something, franchisees are advised not to post it.