Heads up, franchise fans—noncompete clauses just got kicked in the teeth. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) just dropped a legal bomb: a final rule banning most noncompete agreements for employees nationwide. If you’ve ever relied on these clauses to protect your business—or worried they might come back to haunt you—here’s everything you need to know. And yes, franchising is in the crosshairs, but not exactly how you’d think.