What is included in the definition of 'any changes, improvements, or enhancement' related to advertising or marketing for a Southern Steer Business?
Southern_Steer Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisee hereby assigns all proprietary rights described in this Section 15.7 to Franchisor without additional consideration.
Franchisee will execute such additional assignments or documentation to effectuate the assignment of these rights or as Franchisor deems necessary to enable it, at its expense, to apply for, prosecute, and obtain copyrights, trademarks, patents, or other proprietary rights in the United States and in other countries.
Franchisee hereby irrevocably appoints Franchisor as Franchisee attorney-in-fact for the purpose of executing such documents.
Franchisor will have the right to make Improvements available for use by all Southern Steer franchisees.
The expression "any changes, improvements, or enhancement" includes, without limitation, any methods or materials, such as ad copy, for advertising or marketing for the services and products of Franchisee's Southern Steer Business, as well as methods or materials for providing the services and products of Franchisee's Southern Steer Business or Other Businesses.
Source: Item 22 — ITEM. 22 CONTRACTS (FDD pages 61–168)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Southern Steer Franchise Disclosure Document, the expression "any changes, improvements, or enhancement" includes any methods or materials, such as ad copy, for advertising or marketing for the services and products of a franchisee's Southern Steer Business. It also includes methods or materials for providing the services and products of the Southern Steer Business.
This means that any new ideas, modifications, or betterments to advertising campaigns, marketing strategies, or the way services and products are offered fall under this definition. This encompasses a broad range of creative and operational aspects of the business.
Southern Steer franchisees should be aware that any such improvements they develop automatically become the property of the franchisor. The franchisee must assign all proprietary rights to the franchisor without additional compensation. This includes executing additional documents to enable the franchisor to obtain copyrights, trademarks, or patents. The franchisor has the right to make these improvements available for use by all Southern Steer franchisees.