Terms for a Confidentiality Agreement

Confidentiality Agreements (also referred to sometimes as Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)) are an important legal tool to be used in a whole range of commercial situations, where one party wants to prevent the other from using confidential material and information outside their immediate discussions. 

One of the most important matters is to properly define what is to be treated as 'confidential' so that all relevant information and materials are covered by the obligations of confidentiality to be given and received.

Often, it will be appropriate for confidentiality to be mutual, as opposed to applying to just one of the the parties. This is because both sides to the discussions or deal are disclosing things that are confidential to them and consider that they should be protected.

Read what Net Lawman.co.uk, the provider of the Confidentiality Templates, says about what terms can be included in these types of agreement:

"Terms to be included in a Confidentiality Agreement

This article explains the terms you might find in a confidentiality agreement.

A confidentiality (or non-disclosure) agreement is used before sensitive information is exchanged in order to prohibit the undesirable use or further sharing of that information.

The exact terms of the contract will depend on the parties involved, what information is shared and their reasons for sharing it.

The contents of a good confidentiality agreement are described in more detail in the following paragraphs.

What an agreement should contain

Generally, a confidentiality agreement will:

• identify the parties to be bound by the agreement
• state the context and reasons for the agreement
• define what information is considered confidential
• set out the length of time over which the agreement is to be upheld
• specify the restrictions on the disclosure and use of the information
• define exceptions to the restrictions
• address the security of disclosed information
• prevent solicitation of employees
• specify ownership of information
• include penalties or remedies for breach of contract

Parties to be bound by the agreement

As well as identifying the discloser and receiver of information, the agreement should also ensure that the receiver is responsible for breaches by associates who may be privy to the information, such as co-directors, consultants and accountants. In some cases the discloser may insist on a separate confidentiality agreement for each of them.

It should not be necessary to obtain a signed agreement from a solicitor, or accountant who is a member of a proper professional association.

Context and reasons for the agreement

This will vary depending on the situation.

An example could anything from a company and business purchase to an employer requiring an employee to keep business knowledge confidential during and beyond the term of his employment.

Definition of information to be considered confidential

It is essential that the information to be protected is clearly defined - the rest of the agreement uses this material as its subject.

It will be in the interests of the receiver to make sure that the information defined is not something they possess already, or they will effectively lose control of it.

The agreement cannot apply to information that is in the public domain already, so a definition of public knowledge is also often needed.

Length of time (or term) over which the agreement is to be upheld

For many purposes a long or indefinite term is preferable to ensure that the discloser maintains sole and continuing control of the sensitive information.

For example, an employee may still be bound by a confidentiality agreement after his employment has ended.

Restrictions on the disclosure and use of the information

The discloser will want to prevent the receiver from using the information for his own benefit or allowing it to enter the public domain. He may also want to prohibit the copying or retention of information.

Exceptions to the restrictions

It may be important that confidential information is shared for some purpose, and that this purpose is not restricted by the agreement.

For example if you are disclosing information about a business you own in the hope of selling it, the agreement must permit the potential buyer to use the confidential information to make their assessment of the business.

The receiver will want acknowledgment of certain exceptions as well: for example if an independent party not bound by any agreement discloses the information, or if they develop the same information independently.

Security of disclosed information

While a confidentiality agreement cannot fully protect against accidental or unintentional disclosure, it can specify that the protected information be held in a secure way to prevent this. The discloser may also require any records of the information to be returned or destroyed after a specified time.

Prevention of solicitation of employees

This is not regularly seen in an NDA, but we believe it is important, and a source of litigation, so we give it to you for extra protection in Net Lawman document templates. It may be the case that one party will not proceed with a business deal but will attempt to "poach" employees from another business.

The agreement can help prevent this from happening.

Ownership of information

The document will state which party is the originator of the confidential information and acknowledge any intellectual property rights, copyright or patents.

Penalty clauses and remedies for breach of contract

The discloser may wish to put a value on the confidential information, as a sum he can claim to if the contract is breached.

Some information, such as entrepreneurial ideas, can be very difficult to value. In those cases it may be more appropriate to provide for the remedy of an injunction - a court order to prevent specified action.

For some situations it may also be a good idea to include a confidentiality clause that requires that the agreement itself is kept secret."

Detailed guidance notes are provided with each template. Net Lawman offers a money back guarantee if the document is not what you need, as well as a legal review option if you want some professional assistance when you are drawing up your documents.

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