What ownership interest does a Nothing Bundt Cakes franchisee have in the domain name nothingbundtcakes.com?
Nothing_Bundt_Cakes Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
NBC Franchisor LLC (the "Company"), a special purpose Delaware limited liability company, was organized on June 14, 2021. The Company is a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of NBC Funding LLC (the "Debt Issuer"), which is a special purpose Delaware limited liability company that is a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of NBC SPV Guarantor LLC and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of NBC Holdings, LLC ("Parent").
The Company was formed in connection with a financing transaction (the "Securitization Transaction"), which was completed on July 30, 2021 (see Note 4), and serves as the "franchisor" of the Nothing Bundt Cakes brand and owns all Franchise Assets, which includes all franchise agreements and intellectual property related to the business. The Company grants the rights to own and operate Nothing Bundt Cakes bakeries, which specialize in selling decorated bundt cakes and other related gift items. The Company grants each franchisee a transferable right and license to use the "System," the proprietary marks, and to market, sell, and provide the approved products in accordance with the System. The System consists of certain trademarks, service marks, and commercial symbols, including the mark "Nothing Bundt Cakes," certain bakery design décor and images, all of which the Company may modify from time to time. Nothing Bundt Franchising, LLC (the "Manager"), is an affiliated company that performs certain services for the Company under a management agreement (refer to Note 7).
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 93–309)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Nothing Bundt Cakes Franchise Disclosure Document, the domain name "nothingbundtcakes.com" is owned by NBC Franchisor LLC. The FDD states that the company owns all Franchise Assets, which includes all franchise agreements and intellectual property related to the business. Nothing Bundt Cakes grants franchisees the rights to operate a bakery using their proprietary system, trademarks, and service marks.
Specifically, Nothing Bundt Cakes grants each franchisee a transferable right and license to use the "System," the proprietary marks, and to market, sell, and provide the approved products in accordance with the System. The System consists of certain trademarks, service marks, and commercial symbols, including the mark "Nothing Bundt Cakes," certain bakery design décor and images, all of which the Company may modify from time to time.
This means that while franchisees are granted a license to use the "Nothing Bundt Cakes" mark and related intellectual property, they do not own the domain name or other core brand assets. The franchisor retains ownership and control of these assets to maintain brand consistency and standards across all franchise locations. A prospective franchisee should understand that they are licensing the brand and system, not acquiring ownership of the underlying intellectual property.