What must Deck Medic franchisees prevent regarding the Manuals?
Deck_Medic Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
he Licensed Marks, Deck Medic Businesses, the Franchised Business, and Franchisee's former Deck Medic Business, including, without limitation, any confidential, proprietary methods, procedures, descriptions of products, techniques, trade secrets, proprietary marks, distinctive forms, slogans, symbols, signs, stationary, advertising material, articles, logos, devices, items and all other things, tangible or intangible, associated with Franchisor, the System, the Licensed Marks, and Deck Medic Businesses;
- (4) Return to Franchisor the Operations Manual (including any and all parts, supplements, and copies of the Operations Manual), the Confidential Information (including without limitation the Business Management System Data and all customer lists and information), and all other confidential materials, equipment, software, information, and property owned by Franchisor and all copies thereof provided, however, that Franchisee may retain Franchisee's copies of this Agreement, correspondence between Franchisor and Franchisee, but not including Confidential Information that may be contained in or attached thereto, and other documents that Franchisee needs to retain pursuant to applicable law;
- (5) Permanently cease accessing, immediately disconnect from, and discontinue using any and all digital media, intra-nets, cloud based systems, and/or servers that store, maintain, and/or provide access to the Operations Manual, Confidential Information, and all other standards, specifications of Franchisor;
- (6) Immediately notify Franchisor, in writing, of any and all locations where Franchisee may have maintained and/or stored digital files and/or media containing all or parts of the Operations Manual, any Confidential Information, and all other standards and specifications of Franchisor, immediately turn over such digital files and media to Franchisor, and follow Franchisor's instructions as to the destruction of such digital files and media;
- (7) (a) modify and alter Franchisee's former Deck Medic Business, Franchisee's former Deck Medic Administrative Office, and Franchisee's Administrative Office, as reasonably necessary or otherwise required by Franchisor, to ensure that Franchisee's Administrative Office has been completely de-identified and differentiated from its former appearance to prevent any confusion by the public as to the continued existence of a Deck Medic Business at your Administrative Office;
- (b) remove from Franchisee's Administrative Office all distinctive physical and structural features identifying a Deck Medic Business and all distinctive signs, trade dress and emblems associated with the System including, without limitation, signs, trade dress, and emblems bearing the Licensed Marks; and (c) make specific additional changes to Franchisee's Administrative Office as Franchisor reasonably requests for the purpose of completely de-identifying Franchisee's former Deck Medic Business. Franchisee shall immediately initiate the foregoing actions and complete such actions within the period of time designated by Franchisor, and Franchisee agrees that Franchisor and/or Franchisor's designated agents may enter the premises of Franchisee's Administrative Office at any time to make foregoing alterations at Franchisee's sole risk and expense. Franchisee agrees that Franchisee's failure to timely make modifications and alterations to Franchisee's Administrative Office will cause irreparable injury to Franchisor, and Franchisee consents to the entry, at Franchisee's expense, of any ex-parte order by any court of competent jurisdiction authorizing Franchisor or its agents to take action, if Franchisor seeks such an order;
- (8) Take all actions necessary and/or reasonably required to cancel all fictitious or assumed names or equivalent registrations relating to the Licensed Marks;
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD page 33)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Deck Medic's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must take several actions to protect the confidentiality and proper use of the Operations Manual. Specifically, upon ceasing to be a franchisee, they must return the Operations Manual, including all parts, supplements, and copies, to Deck Medic. Franchisees must also permanently cease accessing and discontinue using any digital media, intranets, cloud-based systems, or servers that store or provide access to the Operations Manual.
Furthermore, franchisees are responsible for notifying Deck Medic in writing of all locations where digital files or media containing parts of the Operations Manual are stored. They must then turn over these digital files and media to Deck Medic and follow the company's instructions for their destruction. This ensures that no unauthorized copies of the manual remain in circulation after the franchise agreement ends.
Deck Medic also requires franchisees to keep and maintain the confidentiality of the Operations Manual, securing all files, data, and information in a protected state as directed by Deck Medic. The master copy of the Operations Manual is maintained and designated by Deck Medic. Franchisees receive reasonable notice of any modifications or changes to the Operations Manual, potentially through electronic communications or notifications on an online platform, with a reasonable period to implement these changes.