FDD Resources
Item 14: Patents, Copyrights and Proprietary Information
Content
If the franchisor owns rights in patents, copyrights or proprietary information that are material to the franchise, the franchisor will describe these and their relationship to the franchisee in this section.
Purpose
Again, just as with Item 13, this section will give you an idea the franchisor is well protected.
Tips & Advice
The same red flag warning is given here as in Item 13. Just imagine for a moment how important The Colonel’s secret recipe has been to KFC® over the years and what the consequences would have been if that recipe had not been protected from usage by competitors.