Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) as well as Proprietary Information Agreements (PIAs) and Confidentiality Agreements (CAs) are synonymous terms for legal contracts that protect and govern the exchange of confidential or proprietary information.
You do not need a lawyer to create and sign a non-disclosure agreement. However, if the information you are trying to protect is important enough to warrant an NDA, you may want to have the document reviewed by someone with legal expertise.
To create a Non-Disclosure Agreement, include the following information: The parties' names and contact information. The length of the non-disclosure period. The scope and definition of the confidential information. The obligations of the Non-Disclosure Agreement. The ownership and return information.
How to get out of an NDA. Check for a termination clause. Check the language. Determine if your content is “public domain.” If the content your NDA covers is now known by the public, you may be able to make a case to nullify your NDA from any specific issuer.
Five other key features must be included in your NDA to ensure it's legally binding, including a description of confidential information, obligations of the parties involved, any exclusions, the term of the agreement and consequences of a breach.
An employment contract is an excellent example of a unilateral NDA. When an employee is hired, they sign a unilateral NDA agreeing not to share information learned on the job.
The key elements of Non-Disclosure Agreements: Identification of the parties. Definition of what is deemed to be confidential. The scope of the confidentiality obligation by the receiving party. The exclusions from confidential treatment. The term of the agreement.
If you need an NDA, looking at templates online isn't a bad place to start, but ideally you should work with a lawyer who can write a simple NDA for you or tweak the one you have. You may be able to find someone in your community who can do it for a few hundred bucks.