As a Hardees franchisee, what actions are explicitly prohibited regarding Confidential Information without written permission from CKR, PAR Brink and CrunchTime?
Hardees Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisee shall protect the Confidential Information as trade secrets of CKR, PAR Brink and CrunchTime. Franchisee agrees that it shall not, without the written permission of CKR, PAR Brink and CrunchTime: (a) modify any Confidential Information; (b) reverse engineer, decompile, decrypt or disassemble the Confidential Information or attempt to do so; (c) transfer, rent, lease, lend or sublicense any Confidential Information to anyone for any purpose; or (d) reveal or disclose any Confidential Information for any purpose to any other person, firm, corporation or other entity, other than Franchisee's employees with a need to know that Confidential Information, to perform employment responsibilities consistent with Franchisee's rights under this Agreement. Franchisee shall safeguard and protect the Confidential Information from theft, piracy or unauthorized access in a manner at least consistent with the protections Franchisee uses to protect its own most confidential information. Franchisee shall inform its employees of their obligations under this Agreement and shall take those steps as may be reasonable in the circumstances, or as may be reasonably requested by CKR, PAR Brink and CrunchTime, to prevent any unauthorized disclosure, copying or use of the Confidential Information.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 85–541)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Hardees's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are obligated to protect the Confidential Information, treating it as trade secrets of CKR, PAR Brink, and CrunchTime. Without prior written consent from all three entities, a Hardees franchisee is explicitly prohibited from several actions.
Specifically, a franchisee cannot modify any Confidential Information. They are also barred from reverse engineering, decompiling, decrypting, or disassembling the Confidential Information, or even attempting to do so. Furthermore, franchisees are not allowed to transfer, rent, lease, lend, or sublicense any Confidential Information to anyone for any purpose.
Finally, the Hardees franchisee is prohibited from revealing or disclosing any Confidential Information for any purpose to any other person, firm, corporation, or other entity. The only exception to this is disclosure to the franchisee's employees who have a need to know the Confidential Information in order to perform their job responsibilities, consistent with the franchisee's rights under the Franchise Agreement. The franchisee must also take steps to safeguard the information from unauthorized access, informing employees of their confidentiality obligations and taking reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized disclosure.