The fr a n c hi
sors should n ot be r e quire d to di stribut e c opies of the UF OC t o a tt e nde e s a t t he sho ws
unless a re pr e se ntative o f that f ra nc hisor e n g a ge s in a " on e
-
on
-
on e pe rson a l m e e ti ng" with a
show a tt e nde e e it he r a t a mee ti ng late r in the show , or a t a me e ti n g durin g
t he show a w a y fr om
the booth pr e mi se s such a s a mee ti n g room, r e sta ura nt or c on c e ssi on table a re a , o r a on e
-
on
-
on e
mee ti ng b e hind t he booth i f a rr a n ge ments ha v e be e n made fo r this t y pe o f more invol ve d c ontac t.
Othe r tha n the c i rc umst a nc e s a bove , I view a l
l ot he r c onta c ts at the booth b e twe e n
re pre s e ntatives of the fr a nc hisor a nd show a tt e nd e e s a s " ini ti a l c a sua l enc o unter s" whi c h do not
a nd shoul d not be c onsi de re d a s "first pe rsona l m e e ti ng s. " I n that c ont e x t, t he fr a n c hisor shoul d
be re quir e d to have on
th e pre mi se s a c op y of the UF OC, but he shoul d c o nti nue to be e x e mpt
fr om di stribut ing that do c ument unless it is a " bo na fide fir st pe rsona l m e e t ing c onta c t."
F urthe rmo re , thi s pa rtic u lar re quir e ment is one tha t Tra de S how Promot e rs c a n e nfo rc e a nd
shoul d
be he ld re sponsi ble f or e n for c in g on the gr ounds of the ir shows.
B e y ond thes e re quir e men ts, I do a gre e d that the Rul e shoul d be a mende d to " spe c ific a ll y
e x e mpt " Tr a de S how Pro mot e rs f rom inclusion i n the de finiti on of "F ra n c hi se B rok e rs, " a nd
fur ther mor e ,
Tr a d e S how P romoter s shoul d not be he ld " joi ntl y a nd se ve re l y " l iable fo r Rule
viol a ti ons.
Que sti on/Topi c : Ea rnin gs di sc losure .
C omm e nt/ R e sponse: As state d in t he re view o f T he R ule, I a g r e e with t he proble ms t ha t have
be e n e x pre ssed r e g a rdin g manda tor y e a
rnin g s c lai m di sc losure .
I n a ddit ion, i t i s m y b e li e f tha t no one ha s menti on e d or a ddr e ssed a d e qua te l y the pr oblems f a c e d
b y " ne w, e mer g in g f ra n c hisors" who a re just c om menc ing th e ir f r a nc hisi n g a c ti vit y . C lea rl y , the y
do not have the tr a c k re c ord o r hist
oric a l ex pe rie n c e to su pport a n y e a rnin gs c laims that would be
pre se nted to pr osp e c ti ve fr a nc hise e s.
W it h re g a rd to w o rding t o be re quir e d a s include d tex t i n the C irc ular s of c ompanie s that do not
disclose or prov ide e a rni ng s c laims , I a g re e with t he prop
ose d wo rding a s f ound in P a ra g ra ph 22
of Sec ti on E r e latin g to e a rning s di s c losure s in t he re view of T h e F ra n c hise R ule.
F urthe rmo re , I a lso a g re e that it is i mporta nt t o c orr e c t t he mi sre p re se ntatio n that the F TC R ule
a c tuall y proh ibi ts t he disclosure of
e a rnin g s c laim s, a nd I a g r e e that the a d dit ional lang ua ge
indi c a ti ng that the F TC R ule doe s pe rmit a f ra nc hi sor to pr ovide disc losure infor mation about
a c tual or potential sa les s hould be r e quire d, a nd I a lso beli e ve that the pr op ose d langua g e for
fr a nc his
ors who c hoose n ot t o disclose a n y e a rnin gs, c laims or inc ome pote nti a l shou ld also be
include d a nd re qui re d a s pa rt of the te x t of the off e ring c irc ul a r pr e se nted t o pro spe c ti ve
fr a nc hise e s.
I a lso fe e l t ha t t he F TC s hould be c o g niz a nt of the d il e mm a that
man y f ra n c hisors a re pl a c e d in
whe n the y e le c t not to provide a prospe c ti ve fr a nc hisee with an y e a rnin g s c laims or po tential
e a rnin g s or inc ome in for mation wha tsoeve r.
4
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The fr a n c hi
sors should n ot be r e quire d to di stribut e c opies of the UF OC t o a tt e nde e s a t t he sho ws
unless a re pr e se ntative o f that f ra nc hisor e n g a ge s in a " on e
-
on
on e pe rson a l m e e ti ng" with a
show a tt e nde e e it he r a t a mee ti ng late r in the show , or a t a me e ti n g durin g
t he show a w a y fr om
the booth pr e mi se s such a s a mee ti n g room, r e sta ura nt or c on c e ssi on table a re a , o r a on e
on e
mee ti ng b e hind t he booth i f a rr a n ge ments ha v e be e n made fo r this t y pe o f more invol ve d c ontac t.
Othe r tha n the c i rc umst a nc e s a bove , I view a l
l ot he r c onta c ts at the booth b e twe e n
re pre s e ntatives of the fr a nc hisor a nd show a tt e nd e e s a s " ini ti a l c a sua l enc o unter s" whi c h do not
a nd shoul d not be c onsi de re d a s "first pe rsona l m e e ti ng s. " I n that c ont e x t, t he fr a n c hisor shoul d
be re quir e d to have on
th e pre mi se s a c op y of the UF OC, but he shoul d c o nti nue to be e x e mpt
fr om di stribut ing that do c ument unless it is a " bo na fide fir st pe rsona l m e e t ing c onta c t."
F urthe rmo re , thi s pa rtic u lar re quir e ment is one tha t Tra de S how Promot e rs c a n e nfo rc e a nd
shoul d
be he ld re sponsi ble f or e n for c in g on the gr ounds of the ir shows.
B e y ond thes e re quir e men ts, I do a gre e d that the Rul e shoul d be a mende d to " spe c ific a ll y
e x e mpt " Tr a de S how Pro mot e rs f rom inclusion i n the de finiti on of "F ra n c hi se B rok e rs, " a nd
fur ther mor e ,
Tr a d e S how P romoter s shoul d not be he ld " joi ntl y a nd se ve re l y " l iable fo r Rule
viol a ti ons.
Que sti on/Topi c : Ea rnin gs di sc losure .
C omm e nt/ R e sponse: As state d in t he re view o f T he R ule, I a g r e e with t he proble ms t ha t have
be e n e x pre ssed r e g a rdin g manda tor y e a
rnin g s c lai m di sc losure .
I n a ddit ion, i t i s m y b e li e f tha t no one ha s menti on e d or a ddr e ssed a d e qua te l y the pr oblems f a c e d
b y " ne w, e mer g in g f ra n c hisors" who a re just c om menc ing th e ir f r a nc hisi n g a c ti vit y . C lea rl y , the y
do not have the tr a c k re c ord o r hist
oric a l ex pe rie n c e to su pport a n y e a rnin gs c laims that would be
pre se nted to pr osp e c ti ve fr a nc hise e s.
W it h re g a rd to w o rding t o be re quir e d a s include d tex t i n the C irc ular s of c ompanie s that do not
disclose or prov ide e a rni ng s c laims , I a g re e with t he prop
ose d wo rding a s f ound in P a ra g ra ph 22
of Sec ti on E r e latin g to e a rning s di s c losure s in t he re view of T h e F ra n c hise R ule.
F urthe rmo re , I a lso a g re e that it is i mporta nt t o c orr e c t t he mi sre p re se ntatio n that the F TC R ule
a c tuall y proh ibi ts t he disclosure of
e a rnin g s c laim s, a nd I a g r e e that the a d dit ional lang ua ge
indi c a ti ng that the F TC R ule doe s pe rmit a f ra nc hi sor to pr ovide disc losure infor mation about
a c tual or potential sa les s hould be r e quire d, a nd I a lso beli e ve that the pr op ose d langua g e for
fr a nc his
ors who c hoose n ot t o disclose a n y e a rnin gs, c laims or inc ome pote nti a l shou ld also be
include d a nd re qui re d a s pa rt of the te x t of the off e ring c irc ul a r pr e se nted t o pro spe c ti ve
fr a nc hise e s.
I a lso fe e l t ha t t he F TC s hould be c o g niz a nt of the d il e mm a that
man y f ra n c hisors a re pl a c e d in
whe n the y e le c t not to provide a prospe c ti ve fr a nc hisee with an y e a rnin g s c laims or po tential
e a rnin g s or inc ome in for mation wha tsoeve r.
4
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