特许经营或不特许经营外文翻译.docx
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特许经营或不特许经营外文翻译.docx
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特许经营或不特许经营外文翻译
标题:
ToFranchiseorNottoFranchise
原文:
Since1971,whenthestateofCaliforniaenacteditsownstatefranchiselaw,manyrulesandregulationshavebeenestablishedtoregulatetheoperationanddisclosureoffranchisingbusinesses.Franchisinglawshavebeendevelopedtocurbthetideofillegalandfraudulentactivitiesonthepartofmanyfranchisorsduringthe1950sand1960s.Apatchworkoflegislationemergedduringtheearlypartofthe1970swhichwasdesignedtocombattheallegedabusesandwrongsoccurringinfranchisingoperations.Theserulesandregulationsweredesignedtorequirethefranchisortodisclose,beforethesaleofthefranchise,informationregardingtheoperationofthefranchise.
On21October1979,theFederalTradeCommission(FTC)establishedthefranchiseruleentitled"DisclosureRequirementsandProhibitionsConcerningFranchisingandBusinessOpportunityVentures"(FTCrule436).Thisrulerequiresdisclosureofspecificactivitiespriortothesaleofafranchise.Thesedisclosuresmustbemadetoanyprospectivefranchiseeatthefirstpersonalmeetingbetweenthefranchisor(orrepresentative)andthefranchiseeforthepurposeofdiscussingthefranchisesale,ortenbusinessdayspriortotheexecutionofanyfranchisedocumentorthepaymentofanyconsiderationforthefranchise,whicheveristheearlier.Thisruledoesnotattempttoregulatethenatureorsubstanceofthefranchisors/franchiseerelationship;ratheritrequiresthefranchisortomakespecificdisclosuresorprovideinformationaboutfranchisingactivitiestotheprospectivefranchisee.Thisrulewasdesignedtoservetwomajorfunctions:
(1)preventionoffraudormisrepresentationofmaterialfacts;and
(2)presentationofrelevantfactsorinformationtoprospectivefranchisees.
Thefinalfranchisingcontractmustbedeliveredtotheprospectivefranchiseeatleastfivedayspriortothedateonwhichthedocumentistobesigned.ThefranchisorhastheoptionofmakingthedisclosureseitheraccordingtotheFTCRuleformatortheUniformFranchiseOfferingCircular(UFOC)whichwasdevelopedbytheNorthAmericanSecuritiesAdministratorsAssociation.Theseformatsmaynotbemixed.TheFTCRulecontainsonly20stepswhiletheUFOCisalittlebitlongerandcontains23steps.TheFTCRuleformatisacceptedinonly42states,whiletheUFOCformatisacceptedinall50statesaswellasintheprovinceofAlberta.
ThesubstanceofthedisclosuresrequiredbytheUFOCandFTCaresimilarinnature.However,franchisorsgenerallyprefertousetheUFOCformatbecauseofitsacceptanceinallthe50states.ThecategoriesofinformationintheUFOCandFTCRuleformatsinclude,butarenotlimitedto:
informationaboutthefranchisorandanypredecessors,businessexperienceofofficersanddirectors,litigationhistory,bankruptcy,descriptionofthefranchise,fundsrequiredtobepaidbythefranchisee,recurringfeespayabletofranchisor,obligationstopurchasefromfranchisorordesignatedsource,financingarrangements,supervision,territoryandsalesrestrictions,trademarks,patentsandcopyrights,personalparticipationobligations,terminationandrenewal,statisticalinformationconcerningthenumberoffranchisesandcompany-ownedoutlets,publicfigureinvolvement,financialinformationconcerningthefranchisor,andthefranchisecontract.
Asonecanseefromtheabove,thereisquitealotofinformationthatthefranchisorisrequiredbylawtodivulgetotheprospectivefranchisee.Becausefranchisingcanbesubjecttoabuse,itiscriticalthatsuchinformationbeavailabletopotentialfranchiseebeforeheorshemakesthefinaldecisionofwhethertofranchiseornot.
Thequestionremains,however,astowhatfranchisorsactuallydiscloseandwhethertheyfollowthebasicrulesandformatsuggestedbytheFTCandUFOC.Thisisthequestiononwhichthepresentstudyseekstoshedlight.
InanefforttoascertainhowfranchisorsusetheUFOCorFTCRuleformats,aletterofenquirywassentto216franchisorsinsevenbroadindustries.Atotalof101franchisorsresponded,whoalsoprovidedtheirUFOCordisclosuredocumentsatthesametime.Thenonrespondentswererandomlydistributedanddidnotrepresentanyparticularsize,grouporindustry.
Theinformationprovidedbythefranchisorswasclassifiedintothreecategories:
administrativematters,financialmatters,andcontractualobligations.Thefranchisedisclosuredocumentscontainedagreatdealofinformationaboutthefranchisoranditsadministrativepractices.Inaddition,theyrevealedagreatdealofinformationaboutthefinancialobligationsofthefranchiseetowardsthefranchisoraswellasinformationabouttheinitialstart-upexpensesforthefranchisee.Finally,thedisclosuredocumentsalsocontainedinformationaboutthecontractualobligationsofthefranchisorandfranchiseeunderthefranchiseagreement.
Regardinglitigationhistory,theUFOCrulesrequireddisclosurewithrespecttothreeformsoflegalactivity(criminal,civilandadministrative)inwhichthefranchisororitsofficersmayhavebeeninvolved.Thisdisclosurecoversactivitiesforthepasttenfiscalyears.Itwasfoundthat68percentofthecompanieswereinvolvedwithlitigationduringthattimeperiodwhile32percentwerenotOneofthereasonswhysomemaynothavebeeninvolvedinlitigationwasbecausetheyhadnotbeeninbusinessverylong.
Therulesalsorequirethefranchisortodiscloseitsbankruptcyhistoryaswellasitsdirectorsandofficersduringthepast15fiscalyears.Itwasfoundthat18percentoftherespondentcompanieshavebeeninvolvedinsomeformofbankruptcy,while82percenthavenot.
Anotheradministrativerequirementwhichmanyfranchisorsrequireoffranchiseesisthelatter'sactualparticipationintheoperationsofthefranchise.Ofthosecompaniesreporting,33percentrequiredtheirfranchiseestoparticipatewhile67percentallowedfornoparticipationorabsenteeownership.
Whenafranchisoroffersfinancialassistancetothefranchisee,sucharrangementsmustbedisclosedinthedisclosuredocument.Themajorityoftherespondents,55percent,didnotparticipateinprovidingfinancialsupporttotheirfranchisees;however,itshouldbenotedthat41percentdidprovidesomeformoffinancialassistance,while4percentprovidedcompletefinancialsupporttotheirfranchisees.
Furthermore,anylimitationregardingtheterritorialorgeographicalareasinwhichafranchiseemayoperatemustbedisclosedunderthelaw.Itwasfoundthat69percentoftherespondentsprovidedterritorialrightsorguaranteestotheirfranchiseeswhile31percentdidnot.Whenafranchiseeisgrantedanexclusiveterritorytooperate,awrittendescriptionoftheterritorialrestrictionsandboundariesmustalsobeprovided.Thecircumstancesgoverningthemaintenanceofsuchexclusiveterritorialrights,suchasmeetingcertainsalesgoals,mustalsobestated.
Manyfranchisorsrequiretheirfranchiseestopurchasegoodsorequipmentfromapprovedsuppliersorspecificsources.Ifthisisthecase,thefranchisorisrequiredtodescribethesegoodsorservicesandexplaintothefranchiseewhetherthefranchisorisaffiliatedwithanyofthesebusinesses.Thestudyrevealedthatfranchiseeswererequiredtopurchasefromapprovedsuppliersapproximately90percentofthetime.
Afranchisormustdisclosetheamount,methodofpayment,timeofpayment,andrefundabilityoftheinitialfranchisefeethathastobepaidtoacquireandsetupthefranchise.Mostinitialfeesaresetatafixeddollaramountbythefranchisorforeachfranchisee.Theresultsreportedthat74percentoftherespondentfranchisorsprovidedaspecificdollaramountwhile25percentdisclosedadollarrangedependingonthenumberandkindsoffranchisestobeopened.Additionally,1percentprovidedapercentagefigureratherthanadollarfigurefortheinitialfee.
Almosteveryfranchisorrequirestheirfranchiseestopayapercentageofthelatter'sgrossrevenuesbacktothefranchisoreitheronaweekly,biweekly,ormonthlybasis.Thestudyreportedthat81percentofthefranchisorsrequiredaspecificpercentageofgrossrevenuestobepaidforroyaltyfees,while12percentdisclosedapercentagerangedependingonthenumberofstoresestablishedandsalesvolumeofthestores.Inaddition,4percentdisclosedthatnoroyaltywasrequiredwhile2percentrequiredafixeddollaramountforroyaltyfeesbasedonamonthlychargeperiod.
Franchisorsalsousuallyrequirefranchiseestopayspecificadvertisingfeesasapercentageofthegrossrevenuesofthebusiness.Thestudyreportedthat68percentofallfranchisorsrequiredaspecificpercentageofsuchfeestobepaid.Inaddition,16percentprovidedapercentagerangebasedonthenumberofstoresandsalesvolume,13percentdisclosednospecificamount,and2percentrequiredaspecificdollaramounttobepaideachmonthtothefranchisor.
Whilesomefranchisorsdoprovideleasingopportunitiesforfranchisees,itwasfoundinthesurveythat98percentdidnotdiscloseleasingfeesintheirdisclosuredocuments,while2percentusedapercentageleasefeeforequipmentrentedfromthefranchisor.
Somefranchisorsalsorequirethepaymentofatransferfeetobepaiddirectlytothefranchisorwhenthefranchiseetransfersownership.However,itwasfoundthat55percentoftherespondentfranchisorsdidnotrequireatransferfeetobepaid,32percentrequiredaspecificdollaramount,8percentdisclosedadollarrangedependingonthenumberandsizeofstores,and5percentrequiredapercentagefigurebasedonthesalesofthatparticularstore.
Thefranchisorisrequiredby
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