Does 'Copyrighted Material' include revisions and modifications related to the Southern Steer business?
Southern_Steer Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Copyrighted Material. "Copyrighted Material" will mean all manuals, the Brand Manual, System, logos, designs, marketing materials, layouts of advertising materials, copyrights, writings, recordings, binders, videos, Website content, other web content, electronic files, agreements, forms, books, software and printed materials, etc. including all revisions, changes, modifications and derivatives of or to any of the foregoing, related to the Southern Steer Business or provided to Franchisee by Franchisor, its designees or its Affiliates, including all additions, modifications, derivatives, alterations and improvements thereto.
Source: Item 22 — ITEM. 22 CONTRACTS (FDD pages 61–168)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Southern Steer's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the definition of "Copyrighted Materials" explicitly includes revisions, changes, modifications, and derivatives related to the Southern Steer Business. This encompasses all manuals, the Brand Manual, the System itself, logos, designs, marketing materials, advertising layouts, copyrights, writings, recordings, binders, videos, website content, electronic files, agreements, forms, books, software, and printed materials.
This definition extends to any additions, modifications, derivatives, alterations, and improvements made to these materials. This means that Southern Steer franchisees must adhere to the most current versions of these materials and that Southern Steer retains control over any changes or updates to its copyrighted works.
For a prospective franchisee, this means that they are obligated to use the materials as provided and updated by Southern Steer. They cannot independently alter or modify these materials without express permission. This ensures brand consistency and uniformity across all Southern Steer franchise locations. It also means that any improvements or modifications made by the franchisee to the Southern Steer Business become the property of the franchisor.