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The word for today is…
franchise (noun, verb) -
noun
1a(1): the right or license granted to an individual or group to market a company's goods or services in a particular territory. Also : a business granted such a right or license
(2): the territory involved in such a right
b: a constitutional or statutory right or privilege, especially : the right to vote
c: a special privilege granted to an individual or group, especially : the right to be and exercise the powers of a corporation
2a: the right of membership in a professional sports league
b: a team and its operating organization having such membership
3: a body of related works (such as novels or films) each of which includes the same characters or different characters that are understood to exist in the same fictional universe
verb
1: to grant a franchise to
2archaic : free
Source : Merriam-Webster
Etymology : Franchise was voted into early 14th-century English as both a noun and verb. It is from the Anglo-French verb franchir, meaning "to free," itself from franc, "free." To be perfectly frank, the word franchise is most often encountered today with reference to restaurant chains or professional sports teams, not to mention branded retail stores and sequel-driven movies and novels. These commercial meanings are far from the original meaning of the word in English: "freedom or immunity from some burden or restriction vested in a person or group." This meaning evolved into the "right to vote" sense of the word.
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