What are 'Innovations' defined as in the Crave Cookies franchise agreement?
Crave_Cookies Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 11.6 Innovations. Franchisee shall disclose to Crave Cookies Franchising all ideas, plans, improvements, concepts, methods and techniques relating to the Business (collectively, "Innovations") conceived or developed by Franchisee, its employees, agents or contractors. Crave Cookies Franchising will automatically own all Innovations, and it will have the right to use and incorporate any Innovations into the System, without any compensation to Franchisee. Franchisee shall execute any documents reasonably requested by Crave Cookies Franchising to document Crave Cookies Franchising's ownership of Innovations.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 47)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Crave Cookies' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchise agreement defines 'Innovations' broadly. It includes all ideas, plans, improvements, concepts, methods, and techniques related to the Crave Cookies business. This definition encompasses anything conceived or developed by the franchisee, their employees, agents, or contractors.
For a prospective Crave Cookies franchisee, this means that any new idea or improvement related to the business that they or their staff come up with automatically becomes the property of Crave Cookies Franchising. The franchisee will not receive any compensation for these innovations, even if they significantly improve the business or its profitability.
Crave Cookies Franchising has the right to incorporate these innovations into the broader Crave Cookies system. The franchisee is obligated to execute any documents reasonably requested by Crave Cookies Franchising to formally document the franchisor's ownership of these innovations. This clause highlights the importance of understanding the intellectual property rights within the franchise agreement.