What are Cream franchisees and their owners required to do with Confidential Information?
Cream Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
les checks, purchase orders, invoices, payroll records, customer lists, check stubs, sales tax records and returns, cash receipts and disbursement journals, and general ledgers).
Further, at our request, you will provide current financial information for your owners and guarantors sufficient to demonstrate such owners and guarantors ability to satisfy their financial obligations under their individual guarantees.
3. YOUR COVENANTS DURING THE TERM.
A. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
In connection with the Development Rights, you and your owners and personnel may from time to time be provided and/or have access to non-public information about the System and operation of Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops, including your Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops (the "Confidential Information"), including: (1) site selection criteria, market or demographic research, and/or other real
estate reports; (2) training and operations materials and manuals; (3) the System Standards and other methods, formats, specifications, standards, systems, procedures, techniques, sales and marketing techniques, knowledge, and experience used in developing, promoting, and operating Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops; (4) recipes, ingredient lists, nutrition facts, methods of preparation, and other information about products and menu items, including the existence or specifications of any seasonal or other unreleased products and menu items; (5) market research, promotional, marketing, and advertising programs for Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops; (6) the identity or specifications of any of our required, approved, or designated suppliers, products, services; (7) any software or technology which is proprietary to the System, including any login credentials for, source code of, and data, reports, and other materials generated by, the software or similar technology; (8) knowledge of the operating results and financial performance of any Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops, including your Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops; (9) customer data, including personal information, analytic data, and opt-in/opt-out preferences; and (10) any other information designated as confidential or proprietary by us or our affiliates.
All Confidential Information will be owned by us or our affiliates (other than personally identifiable information relating to the employees, officers, contractors, owners or other personnel of you, your affiliates, or your Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shop, and/or such other personally identifiable information designated by us from time to time). You acknowledge and agree that: (1) you will not acquire any interest in any of our Confidential Information, other than the right to use it as we specify under this Agreement or the Franchise Agreements you sign, in each case in accordance with the terms of such agreement; and (2) our Confidential Information is proprietary, includes our trade secrets, and is disclosed to you only on the condition that you will protect it. You acknowledge that any unauthorized use or disclosure of our Confidential Information would be an unfair method of competition and a breach of trust and confidence and will result in irreparable harm to us and/or our affiliates. You and your owners agree to (and to use each of your best efforts to cause each of your respective current and former spouses, immediate family members, owners, officers, directors, employees, representatives, affiliates, successors and assigns to):
(a) process, retain, use, collect, and disclose our Confidential Information strictly to the limited extent, and in such a manner, as necessary for exercise of your Development Rights in accordance with this Agreement, and/or the operation of Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops under the respective Franchise Agreements, and not for any other purpose of any kind;
(b) process, retain, use, collect, and disclose our Confidential Information strictly in accordance with the privacy policies and standards we establish from time to time, and our and our representative's instructions;
(c) keep confidential and not disclose, sell, distribute, or trade our Confidential Information to any person other than those of your employees and representatives who need to know such Confidential Information for the purpose of assisting you in exercising your Development Rights in accordance with this Agreement, and/or operating Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops in accordance with Franchise Agreements with us; and you agree that you will be responsible for any violation of this requirement by any person to whom you provide Confidential Information;
- (d) not make unauthorized copies of any of our Confidential Information;
(e) adopt and maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of any of our Confidential Information, including by establishing reasonable security and access measures, restricting its disclosure to key personnel, and/or by requiring persons who have access to such Confidential Information to be bound by contractual obligations to protect such Confidential Information and preserve our rights and controls in such Confidential Information, in each case that are no less protective or beneficial to us than the terms of this Agreement (and we reserve the right to designate or approve the form of confidentiality agreement that you use, provided that it is your responsibility to ensure that such agreement complies with and is enforceable under applicable laws in your jurisdiction); and
- (f) at our request, destroy or return any of the Confidential Information.
Confidential Information does not include information, knowledge, or know-how, which is lawfully known to the public without violation of applicable law or an obligation to us or our affiliates.
We and our affiliates are not making any representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the Confidential Information. We and our affiliates have no liability to you and your affiliates for any errors or omissions from the Confidential Information.
B. INNOVATIONS.
All improvements, developments, derivative works, feedback, enhancements, or modifications to the System and any Confidential Information (collectively, "Innovations") made or created by you, your employees or your representatives, whether developed separately or in conjunction with us, shall be owned solely by us and will in no event be owned by you or your affiliates. You represent, warrant, and covenant that your employees and representatives are bound by written agreements assigning all rights in and to any Innovations developed or created by them to you.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 61–192)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cream's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees and their owners receive non-public information about the Cream system and the operation of Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops. This information is considered Confidential Information. Examples of confidential information include site selection criteria, training and operations manuals, system standards, recipes, ingredient lists, market research, promotional programs, supplier identities, software, operating results, financial performance, and customer data. Cream or its affiliates own all Confidential Information. Franchisees only have the right to use it as specified in their agreements with Cream.
Cream franchisees and their owners must process, retain, use, collect, and disclose Cream's Confidential Information strictly to the limited extent necessary to exercise their Development Rights and operate Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops. They must also adhere to Cream's privacy policies and standards. Franchisees cannot disclose, sell, distribute, or trade Cream's Confidential Information to anyone except employees and representatives who need to know the information to assist in exercising Development Rights or operating Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops. Franchisees are responsible for any violations of this requirement by anyone to whom they provide Confidential Information. Unauthorized copying of Confidential Information is prohibited.
Upon ceasing to be a Cream franchisee, the franchisee must stop identifying as a current or former Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shop and cancel any related registrations. They must alter their shop to distinguish it from other Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops, remove all materials bearing Cream's marks, and cease using any contact information or digital presences associated with the franchise. Franchisees must return or destroy all items containing Cream's marks or relating to Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops, including the Brand Manual and any customer data. They must also comply with all system standards and applicable laws regarding the closure and de-identification of their shop, including disposing of personal information. Franchisees must provide evidence of their compliance with these obligations.