Does Lees Famous Recipe claim copyright ownership for its menu designs?
Lees_Famous_Recipe Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
There are no patents or copyrights currently registered or pending patent applications that are material to the franchise. We do claim copyright ownership and protection for the Operations Manual as well as our recipes, advertising copy and design, menu designs, written training materials, training videos and for certain other written materials we provide to assist you in operating your Restaurant.
The manuals, product preparation materials, and related materials are confidential, proprietary and our property. You must keep them confidential during and after the term of the Franchise Agreement. You may not use our confidential and proprietary information in any unauthorized manner and must take reasonable steps to prevent its disclosure to others, except to your employees who need to know such information. You may disclose this information to your employees, but only if they have signed an employee nondisclosure agreement and to the extent necessary to operate your business, and then only while your Franchise Agreement is in effect. You must comply with all changes to the Operations Manual at your cost. Upon termination of your Franchise Agreement, you must return all confidential and proprietary information, including the Operations Manual, product preparation materials and re
Source: Item 14 — PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (FDD pages 52–53)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Lees Famous Recipe's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, they do claim copyright ownership and protection for their menu designs. Lees Famous Recipe also claims copyright ownership for the Operations Manual, recipes, advertising copy and design, written training materials, training videos, and certain other written materials provided to assist in operating the restaurant.
This means that a franchisee must adhere to the specific menu designs provided by Lees Famous Recipe and cannot create their own without infringing on the company's copyright. This control ensures brand consistency across all franchise locations, which is a common practice in franchising.
The franchisee is obligated to keep all manuals, product preparation materials, and related documents confidential both during and after the franchise agreement term. Franchisees must also take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized disclosure of this information, limiting access to only those employees who have signed a non-disclosure agreement and require the information to perform their duties. Upon termination of the franchise agreement, all confidential and proprietary information must be returned to Lees Famous Recipe.