After the Hydrodog Franchise Agreement terminates or expires, what must I do with the confidential information?
Hydrodog Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You agree that, upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, you will immediately cease to use any of our Confidential Information in any business or otherwise and return to us all copies of the Manuals and any other confidential materials that we have loaned to you.
The Operation Manual and other materials and information we may give you access to contain our confidential information that we treat as trade secrets. This information includes, but is not limited to, methods, formats, specifications, equipment, standards, procedures, sales and marketing techniques, knowledge of and experience in developing and operating HydroDog Businesses, knowledge of specifications for and suppliers of certain equipment, materials and supplies, and knowledge of the operating results and financial performance of HydroDog Businesses. You and your owners must not communicate or use our confidential information for the benefit of anyone else during the term of the Franchise Agreement. After the Franchise Agreement terminates or expires, you and your owners may no longer use the confidential information and must return it to us.
You must disclose to us all ideas, techniques, services and products concerning the development and operation of your HydroDog Business that you or your employees conceive or develop during the term of this Agreement. You must grant to us and agree to obtain from your owners, employees, contractors, and agents a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable, and worldwide right to use, modify, exploit, and sublicense these ideas, techniques, innovations, improvements and products concerning the development and operation of Franchised Business that you or your employees, contractors, or agents conceive or develop during the term of this Agreement in all pet-related product and service businesses.
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 33–34)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Hydrodog's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, upon termination or expiration of the Franchise Agreement, franchisees must immediately cease using any of Hydrodog's Confidential Information in any business or otherwise. Franchisees are also required to return all copies of the Operations Manuals and any other confidential materials that Hydrodog has loaned to them. This obligation ensures that Hydrodog's proprietary information remains protected even after the franchise relationship ends.
Hydrodog considers its confidential information to include, but is not limited to, methods, formats, specifications, equipment, standards, procedures, sales and marketing techniques, knowledge of and experience in developing and operating HydroDog Businesses, knowledge of specifications for and suppliers of certain equipment, materials and supplies, and knowledge of the operating results and financial performance of HydroDog Businesses. Franchisees and their owners are prohibited from communicating or using Hydrodog's confidential information for the benefit of anyone else during the term of the Franchise Agreement.
Additionally, franchisees must disclose to Hydrodog all ideas, techniques, services, and products concerning the development and operation of their Hydrodog Business that they or their employees conceive or develop during the term of the Agreement. Franchisees must grant Hydrodog a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable, and worldwide right to use, modify, exploit, and sublicense these ideas. This ensures that any innovations developed during the franchise term become the property of Hydrodog, further protecting their system and brand.