Franchising in the Metaverse: With Great Promise Comes Great Responsibility

The "metaverse" is a general term used to describe any of the virtual universes where people can interact with one another in a shared, immersive environment.  With the growth of both virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, more and more people are engaging with the metaverse to do things like play games, shop, and even get married.  

For businesses, and particularly franchise businesses, the metaverse presents some cutting-edge opportunities.  But like most things, it's not without some pitfalls. This article takes a closer look at some of the risks associated with franchising in a virtual world and what businesses should be doing to prepare.

IP Infringement and Brand DilutionInherent in the novelty and excitement of the metaverse is some uncertainty and risk.  Chief among the risks for franchisors is the possibility of IP infringement and damage to the brand.  Even with well-established rules and procedures, protecting and policing IP is challenging in the…