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How UK Franchisors Protect Their Trade Secrets
As in the United States, franchisors in the United Kingdom usually invest in protecting their brand by way of trademark registrations, usually a Community Trade Mark (CTM). However, although they spend a considerable amount of time, money, and resources developing their customer databases and refining their business methodologies and know-how (and detailing this in the franchise Operations Manual, to which their franchisees and employees are given access), U.S. franchisors rarely seem to devote the same resources to protecting these trade secrets in the United Kingdom.
Trade secrets are extremely vulnerable. Franchisees, master franchisors, developers, subfranchisors, and their employees in the United Kingdom all enjoy a full working knowledge of the franchisor's trade secrets. They are all, therefore, in an excellent position to compete for the franchisor's market share. Sometimes even prospective franchisees acquire a good deal of valuable information. If any such persons leave the franchisor's network, unless the franchisor's trade secrets are adequately protected, they can become its strongest competitor. Indeed, there are many examples of franchises that have been established by former franchisees of a rival brand.
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It
Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later
The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.
A Lawyer's System for Active Reading
Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.
Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners
Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.