Famed Ann Arbor pizza brand, Cottage Inn Gourmet Pizza, a family brand founded in 1948, recently announced its plans to expand in to the Midwest and offer new franchising opportunities, as it enters a new phase of aggressive growth. By the end of this year, Cottage Inn Gourmet Pizza hopes to launch 10 new locations in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. The group also has international ambitions, with plans to open up to 200 new shops in China within the next 15 years. The company currently operates over 50 establishments in Ohio, Florida and Michigan.
Almost all franchisors own at least one federally
registered trademark (and if they don’t, they should). As a general principle,
brand owners are required to monitor and enforce their trademark rights in
order to retain the exclusivity afforded by federal trademark registrations.
This takes on additional complexities for franchisors—who need to make sure
not only that no one is using their trademarks without authorization, but also
that franchisees are making proper use of their marks.
