Does Lees Famous Recipe claim copyright ownership for its training videos?
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 related material.
You and your employees may not, without our prior written consent, utilize any generative artificial intelligence software, tools, or technologies, including, natural language processing, deep learning algorithms, or machine learning models ("Generative AI"), while operating the Restaurant. This includes, but is not limited to, uploading or sharing any Confidential Information with any third-party platforms, including Generative AI, except as authorized in writing by us.
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 training videos. Lees Famous Recipe also claims copyright ownership for the Operations Manual, recipes, advertising copy and design, menu designs, and written training materials. Additionally, they claim copyright for certain other written materials provided to assist in operating a Lees Famous Recipe restaurant.
Lees Famous Recipe emphasizes that the manuals, product preparation materials, and related materials are confidential and proprietary. Franchisees must maintain this confidentiality both during and after the term of the Franchise Agreement. Franchisees are responsible for preventing unauthorized use or disclosure of this information, except to employees who have signed a nondisclosure agreement and need the information to operate the business.
Upon termination of the Franchise Agreement, franchisees must return all confidential and proprietary information, including the Operations Manual and product preparation materials. Franchisees and their employees are prohibited from using generative artificial intelligence software while operating the restaurant without prior written consent from Lees Famous Recipe. This includes uploading or sharing confidential information with third-party platforms, including Generative AI.