Business know-how, trade secrets, and classified information often represent significant commercial assets for various companies. The legislation safeguarding such information can confer essential rights, supplementing the fundamental intellectual property rights.
Legislation surrounding confidential information can secure a broad spectrum of information. This can include intricate and proprietary information, as well as comparatively commonplace data (like customer lists or business contact information), provided it has been gathered through adequate diligence and expertise.
A popular technique for safeguarding confidential information involves the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Essentially, NDAs offer an added layer of contractual protection that complements the possible defences provided under common law.
The benefit of NDAs is that they allow involved parties to clearly define the conditions under which disclosed confidential information may be utilised by the recipients and the duration of such use. Without these explicit contractual terms, there may be room for ambiguity and disputes. In the most unfavourable situations, the recipient might even contend that the received information lacks the confidentiality threshold and therefore is free from any duty of confidence.
T H SUPPORT SERVICES's Birmingham-based NDA attorneys specialise in composing NDAs and evaluating them when received from third parties. For instance, our expert confidentiality agreement lawyers advise against merely signing the first version of an NDA without consulting a professional first. Failure to do so may unknowingly commit you to unwanted yet binding contractual constraints. Our team of NDA attorneys, with years of experience, are adept at identifying potential issues and ensuring NDAs are drafted properly.