Does confidential information for Hydrodog include knowledge of product specifications?

According to Hydrodog's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, confidential information includes knowledge of product specifications. Specifically, the FDD states that confidential information includes "knowledge of specifications for certain Products and Supplies and suppliers of certain Products and Supplies".

This means that as a Hydrodog franchisee, you will have access to confidential information regarding the products and supplies used in the Hydrodog business. This information is proprietary to Hydrodog and is considered a trade secret. As such, you are restricted from using this information for any purpose not expressly authorized by the franchise agreement. This includes using the information in any other business or capacity, or disclosing it to any unauthorized third parties.

Hydrodog franchisees must take precautions to protect this confidential information. This includes restricting its disclosure to only those personnel who need to know it to operate the Hydrodog business, and requiring all employees and independent contractors to sign confidentiality and non-competition agreements. Franchisees must also implement any other reasonable procedures that Hydrodog prescribes to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information. This is a common practice in franchising, as franchisors need to protect their trade secrets and other proprietary information to maintain a competitive advantage.

As a Hydrodog franchisee, you do not acquire any ownership interest in the confidential information, other than the right to use it in operating your Hydrodog business during the term of the franchise agreement. After the agreement expires or is terminated, you must cease using the confidential information and return any materials containing it to Hydrodog. Failure to comply with these confidentiality obligations could result in legal action by Hydrodog.