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Franchise Law Blog

Review of Franchise Law Blog   http://www.franchiselawblog.com/

As the name implies, this blog revolves around news related to franchise law.  The site is laid out nicely – each entry has a headline describing the main thrust of the post, and the posts themselves are usually summaries of a linked to article at another website. Though, for the most part, the blog itself does not provide any analysis, the linked to articles usually do.  This is not a site to learn about franchise law per se, but rather a place to keep up to date with the latest happenings in the area.  And given that franchise law inevitably touches upon other areas of law, such as contracts, agency law, and trademarks, the reader gets a good balance of information about various areas of the law.

At the same time, the posts on this blog are so frequent and varied, that it is possible to learn a good deal about franchise law simply by reading about current happenings.  For example, perusing through a few posts will allow a reader, with no background in franchise law, to learn about how franchisees are chosen, why one particular restaurant chain may only want to open chains in certain geographical areas, and under what circumstances a franchisor may terminate a franchise relationship.  In essence, the reader is able to learn a lot just by reading about what is going on in the real world.  For example, one post on the blog discusses a lawsuit against Arby’s Inc. where Arby’s was being sued for the shooting death involving a franchisee employee.  The Wisconsin Supreme Court held that Arby’s could only be held responsible for the employee’s death if Arby’s exercised control over the daily operations of the restaurant and the Court found that Arby’s did not have the required level of control. 

The blog also has many news articles detailing how companies with franchises are doing financially, what their business strategies are, where certain companies are looking to expand and how they are attempting to go about it.  In addition, the blog has current news regarding court cases and decisions with respect to franchises and franchise law. 

One of the most interesting aspects of this blog are the many posts that keep the reader up to date on pending litigation and or disputes between franchisees and franchisors.  For example, one post discussed how certain Quiznos franchisees in Phoenix sued Quiznos, alleging deceptive trade practices and breach of contract.  The franchisees claimed that Quiznos reneged on promises that stores would not be placed too close together.  Another example is a post detailing a lawsuit filed by Little Ceasers against a number of its franchisees.  Little Ceasers alleged that a number of its franchisees are in breach of their contracts for using unapproved cheeses and pizza sauce.

In sum, this is a very interesting blog and should be checked regularly by those with an interest in franchise law.  The posts are frequent, very informative, and given that many of the posts center around companies that all Americans are familiar with, such as McDonalds or Dominos Pizza, those with no background or interest in franchise law will be just as interested in the posts as those that do.  Again, this site does not usually offer its own analysis of events, but many of the links, on which the posts are based, do.  The blog also does a nice job of balancing its business oriented posts with lighthearted posts such as things franchisees can do to improve customer satisfaction and why franchisee uniformity is extremely important.  Put simply, this blog serves as a good starting off point for those with an interest in franchise law and an interest in keeping up to date with what’s going on in the area.

Are Bloggers Journalists?

This article is a little out of my "topic area," but the Christian Science Monitor has an article about a recent Apple lawsuit against a 19-year-old Harvard student for allegedly illegally obtaining information regarding the company's unveiled products and disclosing details  about the products on his blog:  thinksecret.com.  The article asks the intesting question as to whether Bloggers have the same legal protections provided to journalists under "shield" laws. 

Keeping Current

Review of “Tax & Business Law Commentary”  http://taxbiz.blogspot.com

Business decisions are often influenced by tax considerations, and being aware of the relevant tax laws can sometimes help a business save an enormous amount of money. It is well known, however, that the tax code is continuously evolving. When the IRS, for example, issues a new set of regulations, it is imperative that those likely to be affected by it be aware of it. Needless to say, it is equally important to remain abreast of new developments in business law. Keeping up with, and making sense of new developments in tax and business law, however, can be challenging and time consuming -- but TaxBiz is here to save the day.

Taxbiz.blogspot.com delivers just what it promises -- commentary on recent developments in both tax and business law.  What distinguishes this particular blog from others that attempt to cover the same material is the quickness with which the posts occur. More often than not, when a court issues a decision regarding business or tax law, there is already a post about it within a week, if not the next day.  Even more impressive than the speed with which this site is updated, is the content of the posts themselves.  When a tax court issues a decision, for example, this blog does an excellent job of concisely and clearly relaying the facts of the case, the arguments made by each side, and the underlying rationale for the courts decision.  The posts are also quite helpful in that they discuss the potential implications that recent court decisions or new regulations might bring about.  One positive thing I noticed is that the posts, in addition to commenting on recent court decisions, also bring up previous court decisions that are at odds with the most recent one. In the process, the reader
becomes not only aware of what the law is, but also gains a better understanding of the underlying issue.

Needless to say, certain tax and business laws can be complex to work through and understand.  To its credit, TaxBiz does as good a job as can be expected in explaining difficult material in a concise and easy to understand manner.  With that said, the material on this blog is most likely geared towards the practicing lawyer or businessman.  In fact, TaxBiz itself points out that it is “directed to discussing technical issues pertaining to tax and business law”.  Those with no background in tax or business law will often find themselves scratching their heads when reading certain posts.  For those with a background in tax or business law, however, this blog is an invaluable and important resource. 

It should be noted that the majority of the posts on this blog pertain to issues in tax law.  But there are enough posts regarding developments in business law to make this site a worthwhile visit for even those with no interest in tax – and especially in light of the fact that tax laws can, at times, directly influence the way a business is run.  As a side note, this blog was updated consistently from December 2002 until November 2003, whereupon there were no posts until November 2004.  But the site seems to be posting regularly once more, and it is well worth it to go back and read through the archived posts.

All in all, this blog is a must read.  The posts are informative, relevant, and taken together, this blog almost reads like an online course in tax law, with new cases and issues being discussed and analyzed almost as soon as they arise and are dealt with by the courts.  Those with an interest in business law will also be well-served by checking out this blog. http://taxbiz.blogspot.com is definitely a blog to check up on frequently.

More bang for your buck

Review of “Bizz Bang Buzz” http://bizzbangbuzz.blogspot.com/

"Wow" was the first word that came to mind as I started to peruse this blog.  The sheer volume of posts, sometimes up to 6 or 7 a day, can be overwhelming; but considering that every post has something new and interesting to say, reading this blog is a pleasure.

"Bizz Bang Buzz" notes that it focuses on "law, entrepreneurship, small business, and technology", and it does just that. The posts on this blog are extremely diverse, with articles centering on startups, tradesecrets, e-commerce, open source software, franchising, global outsourcing legal issues, and venture capital issues -- and that’s just a taste. 

The posts as a whole cover all the legal areas a business owner may potentially need to be aware of, from patent and copyright law, to antitrust and tax law.  A nice twist to this blog is that it also covers many intangible factors that are often overlooked, but yet necessary, to starting and maintaining a successful business -- factors such as keeping employee morale high, the benefits of keeping up with technology, and even how to fire someone.  At the same time, it has a plethora of "meaty" posts about the law.  Not only does this blog explain some important business laws in an easy to read manner, it also points out ways that an aspiring or current business owner can use those laws to his or her advantage.  Also discussed in detail are certain pitfalls (both legal and non-legal) that entrepreneurs should avoid, and common mistakes lawyers should be on the look out for.

What makes this blog so great is that has information relevant to an aspiring entrepreneur, a veteran business owner, and even a casual person with an interest in entrepreneurship.  While one might assume that a blog focusing on subjects such as business law would be somewhat dense to read, the posts on the blog are concise, easy to understand, and actually grab your attention.  More importantly, the information it contains is useful and relevant.  Anyone looking to start up a business would be well-served by taking a look at this blog.  For example, some posts include the ins and outs of raising capital, and insight into how to build and deal with a board of directors. There are also some more lighthearted posts such as "top 10 survival tips for entrepreneurs" and effective ways to establish high employee morale. 

At the same time, the blog is equally informative and useful to even a seasoned businessman.  For example, one post details what factors one should take into consideration when contemplating whether or not to take one's company public.  Another post provides an in-depth look at the legal aspects of "buying and selling a business".

Essentially, no matter what kind of business you run, or are trying to start, this blog has something for you.  Again, the posts here are many, but all are informative and well written.  Posts regarding current business news are nicely complemented by in depth and substantive posts regarding business law and advice.  So whether you're interested in reading about how to choose an appropriate and effective brand name or how to manage your cash flow, make sure to check out http://bizzbangbuzz.blogspot.com/.