Parties to a dispute will often act as if they are not bound by a franchise agreement when a dispute arises. This may take the form of a franchisee ceasing the operation of the franchised business, failing to make franchise payments, ceasing to attend training or return franchisor phone calls or emails. Franchisors may stop a franchisee from having access to the operations manual or the franchise system intranet with a view to protecting its intellectual property. In the absence of a speci...

Franchisors Must Review Franchise Agreements and Other Documents   The new unfair contract terms regime passed through parliament last week.   The new regime: 1.         Introduces penalties relating to unfair contract terms; and   2.         Increases the maximum penalties for breaches of some of the provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act including the Australian Consumer Law. &nbsp...