MEASURES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF COMMERCIAL FRANCHISES
The Ministry of Commerce Measures for the Administration of Commercial Franchises Order No. 25 [2004] of the Ministry of Commerce December 30, 2004 Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 With a view of regulating the commercial franchise acts, protecting the lawful rights and interests of the parties and promoting the Article 2 For the purpose of the present Measures, the term “commercial franchise” (hereinafter referred to as the franchising) shall refer Article 3 The present Measures shall be applicable to the franchise activities carried out within the territory of the People’s Republic of Article 4 A franchiser may, according to the contractual stipulations, confer franchising right directly on a franchisee. The franchisee may Article 5 Where franchised business is carried out, the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China shall be followed, the principles No franchiser may undertake illegal pyramid selling activities in the name of franchising. No franchiser may result in market monopoly or obstruct fair competition when undertaking business activities in the way of franchising. Article 6 The Ministry of Commerce shall conduct supervision over and administration on franchising activities nationwide, and the competent Chapter II Parties to a Franchise Article 7 A franchiser shall have the following conditions: 1. Being a lawfully established enterprise or other economic organization; 2. Having such business resources at his disposal on a franchisee as trademark, trade name or mode of business operation on other people; 3. Being able to provide the franchisee with long-term business guidance and training services; 4. Having at least two direct sales stores that have been undertaking the business for more than a year or direct sales stores established 5. In the case of a franchising that requires the franchiser’s provision of goods, having a stable supply system that can ensure the 6. Having good credit standing, without any record of undertaking activities of fraud by ways of franchising. Article 8 A franchisee shall have the following conditions: 1. Being a lawfully established enterprise or other economic organization; and 2. Having the capital, fixed place and personnel that correspond to the franchising. Article 9 A franchiser shall enjoy the following rights: 1. For the sake of guaranteeing the uniformity of the franchise system and the consistency of the quality of products and services, supervising 2. Disqualifying, in accordance with the contractual stipulations from franchised business operations, the franchisee that infringes 3. Collecting franchising fees and deposit as stipulated in the contract; and 4. Other rights as stipulated in the contract. Article 10 A franchiser shall fulfill the following obligations: 1. Disclosing information in time in accordance with relevant provisions of the present Measures; 2. Conferring the franchising right on a franchisee and providing the business symbol and business handbooks that stand for the franchising 3. Providing guidance, training and other services in sales, business or technology necessary for a franchisee to carry out franchising 4. Providing goods supply for a franchisee pursuant to the contractual stipulations. Except for the monopolized commodities and goods 5. A franchiser shall be responsible for ensuring the quality of the products of any supplier designated by him; 6. The sales promotion, advertising and publicity as stipulated in the contract; and 7. Other obligations as stipulated in the contract. Article 11 A franchisee shall enjoy the following rights: 1. Obtaining to use such business resources as the trademark, trade name or business pattern authorized by the franchiser; 2. Obtaining training and guidance provided by the franchiser; 3. Obtaining goods supply provided or arranged by the franchiser in time according to the price stipulated in the contract; 4. Obtaining the support of sales promotion uniformly carried out by the franchiser; and 5. Other rights as stipulated by the contract. Article 12 A franchisee shall perform the following obligations: 1. Carrying out business activities pursuant to the contractual stipulations; 2. Paying franchising fees and deposit; 3. Maintaining the uniformity of the franchise system, and not further conferring the franchising right without permission of the franchiser; 4. Providing authentic business conditions, financial status and other information as stipulated in the contract to the franchiser in 5. Accepting the franchiser’s guidance and supervision; 6. Keeping the franchiser’s business secrets; and 7. Other obligations as stipulated in the contract. Chapter III Franchising Contract Article 13 A franchising contract shall be concluded by the parties concerned, and shall cover the following items in general: 1. The names and domiciles of the parties concerned; 2. The contents, time limit, place for authorizing the use of a franchising right and whether or not such right is exclusive; 3. The type, amount, ways of payment of franchising fees and the ways of collecting and refunding deposit; 4. Confidential clauses; 5. The quality control of the franchising products or services and the liabilities thereof; 6. Training and guidance; 7. The use of trade name; 8. The use of trademarks and other intellectual properties; 9. Consumers’ complaints; 10. Publicity and advertising; 11. Alteration and rescission of the contract; 12. Liabilities for breach of the contract; 13. Dispute resolution clauses; and 14. Other clauses as stipulated by both parties. Article 14 The franchising fees shall refer to the fees paid by a franchisee for obtaining a franchising right, including the following several 1. Membership fees: referring to the fees paid once for all by a franchisee to a franchiser for obtaining a franchising right; 2. Usage fees: referring to fees paid by a franchisee to a franchiser in light of a certain standard or proportion periodically in the 3. Other stipulated fees: referring to other fees paid by a franchisee to a franchiser for obtaining the relevant goods supply or services The deposit means a certain sum of money collected by a franchiser from a franchisee for the purpose of guaranteeing the franchisee’s Article 15 The term of a franchise contract shall not be less than three years in general. After the expiry of a franchising contract, the franchiser and franchisee may determine the conditions for renewing the franchising Article 16 After the termination of a franchise contract, the former franchisee may not use the registered trademark, trade name or other marks Chapter IV Information Disclosure Article 17 A franchiser and a franchisee shall disclose relevant information in time before signing a franchise contract and in the process of Article 18 A franchiser shall provide authentic and accurate basic information and other materials concerning the franchised business operations Article 19 The basic information disclosed by a franchiser shall include the following contents: 1. The name, domiciles, registered capital, business scope of and time limit for undertaking franchised business operations of the franchiser 2. The number and location of franchisees, their business conditions and the investment budget form of franchised stores, the proportion 3. The conditions on registration, licensed use and lawsuits of a trademark; information about other business resources such as trade 4. The kinds, amounts and ways of collecting franchising fees and the ways of refunding deposits; 5. The conditions on lawsuits during the recent five years; 6. The supply of various goods or services that may be provided to a franchisee and the additional conditions and restrictions, etc.; 7. The certification for the ability to provide training and guidance to a franchisee and the reality for providing such training or 8. The basic information of the legal representative and other main responsible persons, and whether they have any record of criminal 9. Other information or materials that shall be disclosed by a franchiser upon the request of the franchisee. In case a franchisee suffers from any economic loss due to insufficient information disclosure or false information provided by a Article 20 A franchisee shall provide the relevant materials concerning his operation capacity according to the facts upon the request of a franchiser, Article 21 During the period of franchised operations and after the termination of the franchise contract, a franchisee and his employees shall Article 22 Any person or applicant, who does not sign a franchising contract with a franchiser but knows his business secrets through information Chapter V Advertising and Publicity Article 23 When a franchiser publicizes, does sales promotion and sells any franchising right, the contents of advertising and publicity shall Article 24 The records, numbers or other relevant materials relating to business income or proceeds of a franchiser directly or indirectly contained Article 25 No franchiser or franchisee may imitate the trademark, advertising pictures and expressions or other distinctive marks of others by Article 26 In the promotion activities of franchised operation, a franchiser shall not exaggerate the interests brought about by the franchise Chapter VI Supervision and Administration Article 27 The competent departments of commerce at all levels shall strengthen the administration and coordination on the franchising activities The competent departments of commerce at all levels shall establish credit records for franchisers and franchisees, and timely announce Article 28 The franchising industry association (or chamber of commerce) shall formulate industrial criterions according to the present Measures, Article 29 In January each year, a franchiser shall report the situation on the franchise contract signed in the previous years to the competent Article 30 Where a patent license is involved in any franchising activity, a patent licensing contract shall be signed in light of the relevant Article 31 Prior to undertaking franchised operational activities, a franchiser shall make archival filing of the franchise contract for the Chapter VII Special Provisions on Foreign-funded Enterprises Article 32 No foreign-funded enterprise may engage in any business in the prohibition categories of the Catalogue of Industries for Guiding Foreign Article 33 Where a foreign-funded enterprise undertakes business activities by way of franchising, it shall apply for expanding the business 1. An application and the decision of the Board of Directors; 2. The business license of the enterprise and the certificate of approval for the foreign-funded enterprise (photocopy); 3. Agreement for the amendment of contract and articles of associations (for wholly foreign-owned enterprises, only the amendment on 4. The relevant documents and materials that are proved to comply with the provisions of Article 7 of the present Measures; 5. The basic information and materials as required by Article 19 of the present Measures; 6. Sample text of the franchising contract; and 7. Handbook for franchised operation. The department of examination and approval shall make a written decision on whether or not to grant approval within 30 days after After an applicant gets approval, it shall go through the formalities for alteration of enterprise registration at the administrative Article 34 Where a foreign-funded enterprise undertakes business activities by way of franchising upon approval, it shall report the situation Article 35 Where a foreign investor establishes any foreign-funded enterprise that engages exclusively in business activities by way of franchising, Article 36 Any foreign-funded enterprise, which has been undertaking business activities by ways of franchising before the implementation of Article 37 The provisions of the present Chapter shall be followed by enterprises invested by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan investors that undertake Chapter VIII Legal Liabilities Article 38 Where anyone violates the provisions of Article 7 or 8 of the present Measures, the competent department of commerce shall order Article 39 Where anyone fails to disclose information according to the present Measures, the competent department of commerce shall order it Article 40 Where a franchiser makes advertising publicity in violation of the present Measures, he shall be punished in accordance with the provisions Chapter IX Supplementary Provisions Article 41 The power to interpret the present Measures shall be vested in the Ministry of Commerce. Article 42 The present Measures shall be implemented as of February 1st, 2005, and the Measures for the Administration of Franchised Commercial |
The Ministry of Commerce
2004-12-30