Who retains sole property of the Manual for Dryject franchises?
Dryject Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Under the Franchise Agreement, you must operate the Franchised Business according to the standards, methods, policies, and procedures specified in the Manual. You will be loaned a controlled copy of the Manual for the term of the Franchise Agreement, when you have completed the initial training program to our satisfaction.
You must treat the Manual, and any other materials created for or approved by us in the operation of your Franchised Business and the information contained in them, as confidential and must use all reasonable efforts to maintain this information as secret and confidential. You must not copy, duplicate, record or otherwise make them available to any unauthorized person. The Manual will remain our sole property and must be returned in the event that you cease to be a Franchise Owner.
We may periodically revise the contents of the Manual, and you must comply with each new or changed standard. You must ensure that the Manual is kept current at all times. In the event of any dispute as to the contents of the Manual, the terms of the master copies maintained by us at our principal office will be controlling.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 36–37)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Dryject's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Dryject retains sole property of the Manual. The Manual contains the standards, methods, policies, and procedures that franchisees must follow when operating their Dryject business. Franchisees are loaned a controlled copy of the Manual after completing the initial training program.
Dryject franchisees must treat the Manual and its contents as confidential and take reasonable measures to keep the information secret. Franchisees are prohibited from copying, duplicating, recording, or sharing the Manual with unauthorized individuals. Upon termination of the Franchise Agreement, the franchisee must return the Manual to Dryject.
Dryject may periodically revise the Manual, and franchisees must comply with any new or changed standards. In case of any dispute regarding the Manual's contents, the master copies maintained by Dryject at its principal office will be controlling. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as franchisors need to maintain control over their operating systems and ensure consistency across all franchise locations.