Who owns the copyright to the Engel & Volkers System Documentation?
Engel_Volkers Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You must treat the System Documentation as strictly confidential and not allow any unauthorized persons to read them or have access to them. The System Documentation and the copyright on them remain our sole and exclusive property. You may only use the System Documentation during the term of your Franchise Agreement. The System Documentation at all times shall remain our exclusive property, and you must return the System Documentation (and all copies which you have made or obtained) to us promptly upon our request and, in any event, upon termination or expiration of your Franchise Agreement for any reason. You may not at any time copy, duplicate, record or otherwise reproduce or transcribe any of the System Documentation or any of the forms we supply without our prior written consent. If the System Documentation are supplied electronically, you may print one copy for your personal use. Although we have not filed an application for a copyright registration for these materials, we claim a copyright for all of these materials and the information is proprietary. The use of the material is limited only to you and your employees.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 59–61)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Engel & Volkers's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Engel & Volkers retains sole ownership of the copyright to the System Documentation. As a franchisee, you must treat the System Documentation as strictly confidential and are not allowed to let unauthorized individuals access or read it.
The System Documentation remains the exclusive property of Engel & Volkers, and franchisees are only permitted to use it during the term of their Franchise Agreement. Upon request or at the termination or expiration of the agreement, franchisees must promptly return the System Documentation, including all copies made or obtained, to Engel & Volkers. Franchisees are prohibited from copying, duplicating, recording, or reproducing the System Documentation or any supplied forms without prior written consent from Engel & Volkers. If the System Documentation is provided electronically, franchisees are allowed to print one copy for personal use.
Although Engel & Volkers has not filed for copyright registration, they assert a copyright claim on all System Documentation materials, considering the information proprietary. The use of these materials is restricted solely to the franchisee and their employees. This underscores the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of Engel & Volkers's operational resources and adhering to the terms outlined in the Franchise Agreement regarding proprietary information.