Amended ICC Model International Franchise Contract is Problematic for Franchising: Anyone Who has had the Experience of Working with Franchisors Knows That a Good Franchise Agreement Must Reflect Scores of Business and Legal Decisions Which Make Each Franchise Unique (International Development‪)‬

The idea was simple. Create a model international franchise agreement which could be used by companies and lawyers who are unfamiliar with international franchising and international franchise agreements. Gather a group of leading franchise lawyers and professors and focus their efforts on developing one or two best practices for each issue commonly addressed in franchise agreements, provide explanations for the options and release it under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce. Known for model contracts and contract clauses in areas such as commercial agency, international sales, distribution and trademark licenses and for its international arbitration expertise, the ICC had first attempted a model franchise contract in 2000. The original model was not well known. An Internet search suggests it is only available for purchase from the ICC and according to lawyers who had attempted use of it, it was so deficient that it needed to be revised. The ICC's drafting group, which is chaired by Professor Fabio Bartolotti of the University of Torino (Italy) took on the task of revising the model in 2008. Professor Bartolotti also practices franchise and distribution law and is the founder and chair of the International Distribution Institute. After multiple meetings, at least 10 drafts and after receiving comments from various international franchise lawyers, including the author, the ICC has completed and released its amended model, complete with comments and analysis.