Can you go to jail for breaking an NDA? Breaking an NDA usually doesn't result in jail time — as NDAs are civil contracts, not criminal agreements. Typically, the consequence is a breach of contract lawsuit, where the harmed party may seek financial compensation if the court rules in their favor.
Generally, NDAs will be enforced by a court, but some statutes and public policy may prevent the enforcement of an NDA. For example, many NDAs will be voided or partially so regarding criminal acts. Often NDAs may be unenforceable unless certain procedural requirements are met.
In Illinois, the confidentiality obligations are finite. Your NDA may not continue indefinitely. To ensure your agreement is enforceable, add a reasonable time limit to the confidentiality obligation. This is typically “during the course of employment” or for a short time period thereafter.
How to Enforce an NDA Identify the breach: The first step in enforcing an NDA is to identify the breach. Send a cease and desist letter: Once a breach has been identified, the company should send a cease and desist letter to the party who has breached the NDA.
What happens if you breach an NDA? Simply put, a breach of NDA can have a range of consequences that are outlined in the NDA itself, or in the non-disclosure clause of your employment agreement. You may be subject to legal liability, monetary fines and criminal charges in extreme cases.
If one party violates the terms of a non-disclosure agreement, the other party may sue for damages. Compensation damages are intended to place the injured party in the position they would have been in if the agreement had not been broken.
A plaintiff can also frequently pursue an injunction as a remedy for breach of an NDA. An injunction is a court order prohibiting the defendant from further disclosing or using the proprietary information or trade secret that was the subject of the NDA.
Legal recourse is possible for a violated NDA Non-disclosure agreements are a legal contract. If broken, the aggrieved party can take legal action; they should spell out what will happen if breached.
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