Marty's, a clothing company, has a number of outlets that are owned and managed by private individuals. These outlets are allowed to use the brand name and products of Marty's after paying a fee to the company. They also pay a part of their revenues to Marty's. The upfront payment these outlets make to Marty's for using the Marty's brand name is referred to as a(n):
a. acceptance fee
b. acknowledgement fee
c. franchise fee
d. royalty fee
e. establishment fee