Free US Law Dictionary

Franchise

Franchise generally means a right or privilege. It may refer to:

• Suffrage, the civil right to vote
• Franchising: A business method that involves the licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business, such as:
  • Chain store, retail outlets which share a brand and central management
  • An exclusive right, for example to sell branded merchandise.
  • Media franchise, ownership of the characters and setting of a film, video game, book, etc., particularly in North American usage
• A government-granted monopoly, e.g. a "cable franchise"
• Franchise (short story), a 1955 short story by Isaac Asimov
• Dem Franchize Boyz, an American hip hop group from Atlanta.
• Franchise deductible, in insurance, where the deductible only applies in small losses

• In professional sports league organization in North America, a professional sports team.
  • A "franchise player" is one who plays in this system.
  • A "franchise tag" is a free agent player, specifically in the US National Football League.