美国加盟法法规概论.docVIP

AN OVERVIEW OF FRANCHISE REGULATION IN THE UNITED STATES 美國加盟法法規論概 ! Because of false starts in attempts to regulate franchising at the Federal level in the 1970s, California and a few other states jumped into the void and passed state statutes and regulations controlling the offering and sale of franchises and business opportunities within their boundaries. Eventually the plan for federal regulation gained momentum and the Federal Trade Commission Franchise rule (16 C.F.R. Part 436) was adopted as an overlay to the numerous state regulatory schemes that had been adopted in the interim. As a result, today the franchise industry is subject to a complex web of regulations that differ from the Federal level to the state level and differ widely from state to state. 由於美國聯邦政府在1970年代曾經試著規範連鎖加盟企業卻是個錯誤的起步，加州與 其他幾個州政府居中介?通過了以州政府級別?法來取代失效的聯邦法，並?以規範 在?法各州境內有關連鎖加盟企業的銷售相關業務。?直到聯邦終於在聯邦貿易委員 會的努?下成?了加盟法－CFR第16條第436款－並?以凌駕於州級加盟法之上。以 ?於到了今?連鎖加盟業必須因應從聯邦到不同州政府之間造成的複雜繁瑣?且差異 性極?的加盟法。 ! The basic elements of this confusing regulatory scheme include: 1. The FTC rule; 2. A variety of state statutes addressing the sale of franchises and business opportunities; 3. Statutes in several states that restrict or control the ability of a franchisor to terminate or refuse renewal of a franchise or regulate other aspects of the relationship between franchisee and franchisor (the so called state franchise relationship laws); and 4. Industry specific statutes and regulations maintained by both Federal and state governments in particular businesses such as gasoline dealerships. 這讓?困惑的法規體系的基本元素包含了以下幾點： 1. 聯邦貿易委員會加盟法規； 2. 由各個不同州政府所提議的有關出售連鎖加盟業和商機的規範條例； 3. 部分州政府同時也針對加盟業者與加盟商之間的關係訂定規範，例如限制加盟業者 在終?或拒絕加盟商續約的權限以及其他相關層?的規範，即所謂“州?加盟業關 係法案”；以及 4. 從聯邦到州政府均針對部分特殊?業，例如汽油經銷商等，訂定特定?業法規及規 章。 ! Of course, many other laws impact franchisors and franchisees. In fact, franchise law, is not a discrete body of substantive of law but is instead the discipline of working with many substantive rules of law as they