Item 13 - TRADEMARKS

Here, the franchisor discloses all of their registered trademarks, including all trade names, service marks and logos. Trademarks that are properly registered offer several legal benefits and help maintain brand recognition through consistent marketing exposure.

Objective

  • Review all trademarks to confirm that they are registered federally and verify that they are secured properly by the franchisor. At a bare minimum, the franchisor should have the name and logo registered as trademarks.

Important Considerations

  • What's the status of the litigation? Concluded vs. pending?
  • Are the trademarks properly registered? What is the status of each registration? You can verify this information with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov).
  • Who owns the trademarks for the brand? If someone other than the franchisor owns the trademarks, there is a possibility their rights to use will be revoked.

Item 12

Item 14