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Franchising is one of the most popular ways to do business in New Zealand.  Generally, things go well for both the franchisor and the franchisee:  the franchisor receives the benefit of ongoing fees from the franchisee and the franchisee receives the benefit of the hard work done by the franchisor in developing a business concept and building up goodwill in the brand. Often, however, things do not go quite so well, and this can be a particular problem for a franchisor where the term of the franchise agreement is long, often up to 10-20 years.  With such long terms, it may...

Every business thrives by keeping a variety of types of information secret: manufacturing processes, marketing strategies, contact lists and employee remuneration packages, to name a few. Collecting or generating information takes time, effort and money. The value of this investment can be significantly affected by deliberate or unexpected disclosure. This can happen, for example, when: A company you have been negotiating with tries to use your information to compete with you; A former employee divulges information to a new employer or attempts to use it for his own gain; or Your information is in the hands of a government department...