IP rights in Italy: how franchisors can protect their trademark and brand name?
Intellectual property rights, in particular trademarks, are some of the most valuable assets of franchise systems in Italy. With the growth of the Internet this assumption is even more true than ever.
The business plan in franchising: advertising tool or boomerang?
In fact, if an affiliate does not comply with the provisions of the business plan, he can sue the franchisor for damages or early termination of the contract. In addition, the AGCM may impose heavy penalties on franchisors for misleading advertising.
Franchise know-how in Italy: what it is, how it is regulated, how it is protected
According to the Italian Franchise Law, all franchise agreements must contain and describe in detail the specific know-how provided by the franchisor to the franchisee and must have specific requirements. It is therefore important to check whether and how the franchisor’s confidential know-how can be protected in Italy.
Expanding a franchise in Italy through a subsidiary
For a variety of reasons, franchisors may decide to expand their franchise in Italy through a subsidiary whose stock shares are controlled by the franchisor’s company.
The Area Representative Agreement
A valuable option for foreign franchisors who wish to expand their franchise in Italy is to use an Area Representative agreement.
Area Development: a contract increasingly used in Italian franchise practice
The multi-unit franchise model is increasingly widespread in the world, including Italy. Within the MUF model, the Scope Development Pact plays a key role. The Area development scheme offers many advantages to both parties.
Expanding a franchise in Italy through Master franchising: how to face (and avoid) possible problems
Master Franchising is widely used in Italy, but of course it can present some problems, most of which can be avoided by foreign franchisors careful. This issue is closely linked to the selection of the Master franchisee, which is indeed a crucial process that should be managed by experienced local consultants and brokers.
Expanding a franchise in Italy through Master franchising: what changes are needed in terms of franchisor’s documents, manual and training?
Master Franchising is the most used method to expand a franchise network in Italy. But many foreign franchisors underestimate the changes in franchise contracts, documents, manuals and training programs needed to adopt this model in Italy. This adaptation takes time and costs.
Expanding a franchise in Italy through Master franchising: the economics
Master Franchising is the most common method to expand a franchise in Italy. The popularity of the Master Franchise also has economic reasons, since it generally requires less resources from franchisors and allows for more revenue than direct franchising. In order to achieve this objective, however, certain conditions must be met: firstly, a correct quantification of the proportion of the fees charged by the master franchisee and distributed between the master franchisee and the franchisor, and a careful analysis of performance requirements and expenses.
Expanding a franchise in Italy: direct franchising
One of the most critical issues that any franchise company will face in its approach to the Italian market is the choice of the right structure to use for its expansion. This model has some pros, but also many cons. Widely used variants of the direct franchise model include area representatives, area developers, and branch offices.
Planning a franchise expansion in Italy: the legal due diligence
Initial legal due diligence on the Italian environment is essential for any foreign franchise willing to expand in the Italian market.
The economic and financial analysis of a planned franchise expansion in Italy
Usually the first part of a feasibility plan for a franchise expansion project in Italy is an economic-financial analysis. Two of the main elements of this analysis are a good investigation of the Italian market and an analysis of possible changes to the concept of franchising.