factual

Is a Kidokinetics franchisee allowed to establish a website using the Kidokinetics marks?

Kidokinetics Franchise · 2024 FDD

Answer from 2024 FDD Document

ceipt of all electronic mail sent by Franchisor. Franchisee shall not establish any website or other listing on the Internet except as provided and specifically permitted herein.

  • 11.3.8. Franchisor has established a website that provides information about the System and the services offered by the Kidokinetics franchises (the "Website"). Franchisor has sole discretion and control over the Website, including whether to discontinue the Website. Franchisor will provide Franchisee with a dedicated page on the Website for Franchisee's Kidokinetics Business. Franchisor may require Franchisee, at Franchisee's expense, to prepare all or a portion of the page using a template that Franchisor provides. All such information will be subject to Franchisor's approval prior to posting. Franchisee has no ownership or other proprietary rights to such page and will lose all rights to such page upon expiration or termination of this Agreement for any reason.
  • 11.3.9. Franchisor may use a portion of the Brand Development Fund Contributions or the Technology Fee to pay or reimburse itself for the costs incurred in connection with the development, maintenance and update of its website.
  • 11.3.10. Franchisee acknowledges that Franchisor and/or Franchisor's affiliates are the lawful, rightful and sole owner of the Internet domain name www.kidokinetics.com as well as any other Internet domain names registered by Franchisor and/or Franchisor's affiliates, and unconditionally disclaims any ownership interest in such Internet domain names and any Internet domain names similar thereto. Franchisee agrees not to register any Internet domain name in any class or category that contains words used in or similar to any brand name owned by Franchisor or Franchisor's affiliates or any abbreviation, acronym, phonetic variation or visual variation of those words.

Kidokinetics

  • 11.3.11. Franchisee shall pay all fees and expenses for technology required by this Agreement, including but not limited to, the costs of computer hardware and software, Internet access, license fees, help desk fees, licensing or user-based fees for a franchise portal or a benchmarking platform, web page design, and fees related to exposure on Franchisor's website.
  • 11.4. Volume Rebates. If Franchisor receives any cash rebates, volume discounts, concessions, advertising allowances, or discount bonuses (collectively "Discounts"), whether by way of cash, kind or credit, from any manufacturer or supplier designated by Franchisor, whether or not on account of purchases made (i) by Franchisor for its own account or for Franchisee's account, or franchisees generally, or (ii) by Franchisee directly for its own account, Franchisor reserves the right to retain the whole or any partial amount of such Discounts.
  • 11.5. Unapproved Suppliers. If Franchisee desires to purchase, lease or use any supplies, equipment, vehicles or other items of any nature or kind from an unapproved supplier, Franchisee will submit to Franchisor a written request for such approval prior to utilizing such supplier. Franchisee will not purchase or lease from any supplier until and unless such supplier has been approved in writing by Franchisor. Franchisor will have the right to require that its representatives be permitted to inspect the supplier's facilities, and that samples from the supplier be delivered, either to Franchisor or to an independent laboratory designated by Franchisor for testing. If the supplier or manufacturer meets Franchisor's specifications, as determined in Franchisor's sole discretion, Franchisor will approve it as an additional supplier or manufacturer.

Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 59)

What This Means (2024 FDD)

According to Kidokinetics's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally prohibited from establishing their own websites or online listings. Kidokinetics retains control over the brand's online presence.

Kidokinetics does provide franchisees with a dedicated page on the company website. However, Kidokinetics maintains sole discretion and control over the website, including the right to discontinue it. Kidokinetics can require the franchisee to prepare all or a portion of their page using a template provided by Kidokinetics, and all information is subject to Kidokinetics's approval before posting. The franchisee gains no ownership or proprietary rights to their page and loses all rights to it upon termination of the Franchise Agreement.

Franchisees are also prohibited from registering any internet domain name that contains words used in or similar to any brand name owned by Kidokinetics. While franchisees are generally restricted from establishing their own websites, they may be able to establish a separate website, splash page, or profile on the internet with Kidokinetics's advance written approval. If approval is granted, the franchisee must operate the site according to Kidokinetics's system standards and utilize any templates provided by Kidokinetics.

Kidokinetics also reserves the right to require franchisees to provide all social media account information related to the Kidokinetics business and grant Kidokinetics independent access to the franchisee's Kidokinetics business social media accounts. Kidokinetics retains the sole right to market on the internet, including the use of websites, domain names, and search engines.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.