Are the Gold Star Manuals considered Confidential Materials?

According to Gold Star's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the manuals are considered confidential materials. The FDD states that all manuals remain the property of Gold Star, must be kept at the store (if in printed form), and must be treated as confidential materials as defined in Section 12 of the agreement. These manuals must be kept up to date and returned to Gold Star upon request or at the termination of the franchise agreement.

Gold Star may provide the manuals in digital format accessible through the internet. The version of the manual available on any extranet, or the master copy kept by Gold Star at its principal office, will be controlling in the event of any dispute relating to the contents of the manual.

This confidentiality requirement means that a franchisee must take precautions to protect the information contained within the manuals. This includes limiting access to only those employees who need it for their work and ensuring that all employees understand the confidential nature of the materials. Franchisees must also ensure that the manuals are not copied, duplicated, or shared with any unauthorized parties. This is a standard practice in franchising, as the operations manual contains the franchisor's proprietary knowledge and systems that make the franchise unique.