The International journal of franchising law
Edited by Dr. Mark Abell, Bird & Bird
and Gaylen Knack, Gray Plant Mooty, Minneapolis
Keep up to date with the latest developments and thinking on the complex legal issues involved in establishing, protecting and controlling an international franchise network.
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International journal of franchising law
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Recent Articles
Federal regulation of franchising – Does the reluctance of US franchisors to abandon it hold a lesson for the EU?
The International Franchise Association is now campaigning strongly against a suggestion that the federal law should be amended so that there is no requirement for a disclosure document. It argues that a single system for the entire country has many commercial benefits. This article argues that the European Union should similarly aim for a harmonised system of regulation of franchising to make it easier and less expensive for franchisors to expand across the single market.
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How should franchisors work with micro-influencers? – A review of English law
Influencer marketing has become a big business. Many franchisors regularly compete to capture the attentions of celebrities and social media stars and attracting the right endorsement can lead to significant marketing exposure. However, a new breed of social media star is now is stepping into the spotlight – the micro-influencer – and, in order to deliver value to their franchisees, franchisors need to understand how to deal with them.
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Italy – New rules on trade secrets (know-how)
This article provides a detailed analysis of the implementation in Italy of the European Directive on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure. Under Italian law, a franchisor has several means to protect its know-how and trade secrets from possible disclosure or abusive use by its franchisee (or former franchisee) or by its competitors. It is crucial that they carefully draft their contractual provisions.
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Limits to approved suppliers systems in franchising. A Spanish perspective
This article considers the admissibility of approved supplier systems in franchising under EU and Spanish law. Analysis of relevant case law suggests that approved supplier systems for products or services not clearly linked to the image and reputation of the franchise brand require careful analysis, taking into account market definition and availability of market share.
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Recent legislative and case law developments in Canada
During the past year there have been a lot of interesting developments in Canada in legislation and case law affecting franchising, including refinement to the franchisee’s rescission remedy, injunctions, joint employment relationships, anti-poaching, use of arbitration clauses, prospective new legislation, and a move to settlement with 1,500 Canadian Tim Hortons franchisees in their class action. There have also been important updates to Canada’s Trademark Act.
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Recent developments in franchising in New Zealand
New Zealand does not have any franchise-specific legislation. However, for members of the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ) and for non-members who may choose to do so, there is a Code of Practice and Code of Ethics which must be complied with. There are also robust laws to protect important franchising principles.
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