What is the Healthsource Chiropractic franchisee's obligation regarding the confidentiality of the Confidential Information after the franchise agreement terminates or expires?

According to the 2025 Healthsource Chiropractic Franchise Disclosure Document, upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, the franchisee must immediately cease using any Confidential Information and is prohibited from using it in any business or for any other purpose. The franchisee also agrees that all non-disclosure and related covenants outlined in Section 9 of the agreement will remain in effect even after termination or expiration.

Furthermore, the franchisee is obligated to promptly return all copies of the Operations Manual and any written Confidential Information or other confidential materials that Healthsource Chiropractic has provided. This ensures that Healthsource Chiropractic's proprietary information remains protected and is not used to the detriment of the franchise system.

These obligations are typical in franchising to protect the franchisor's intellectual property and trade secrets. A prospective Healthsource Chiropractic franchisee should understand that these confidentiality obligations extend beyond the term of the franchise agreement, which could impact their future business ventures should they choose to pursue other opportunities in the same or related fields after leaving the Healthsource Chiropractic system.