Confidentiality

To many businesses, confidentiality of ideas and innovations are their most important commercial asset. It can be as important, if not more important, than formal intellectual property rights and for some rights it is a pre-requisite for protection. In order to safeguard your confidential information and know-how, it should be kept secret from competitors.

Provided your information is kept secret and out of the public domain, it is considered confidential information. Some typical examples of confidential information or trade secrets include:

  • business plans
  • customer lists
  • internal policies and procedures
  • industrial knowledge
  • software algorithms
  • technical processes

Confidential information arises automatically and lasts indefinitely. This means it is important you have strict policies in place in your business to ensure that confidential information is not inadvertently disclosed to the public, which could destroy its protected status. Accordingly, it makes sense to only circulate confidential information on a ‘need to know’ basis, and impose additional confidentiality obligations on staff and contractors.

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How can we help you

To keep alive the possibility of securing patents, confidentiality of information should be considered at the outset before entering into discussions with any third parties, including business partners, manufacturers and suppliers.

We will help you:

  • with the submission of ideas to third parties or investors and put such recipients of confidential information on notice that the information they receive is confidential and protected
  • by preparing non-disclosure agreements (also known as “NDA”s or “confidentiality agreements”) with third parties and staff with access to protect confidential information and your business’ trade secrets
  • regulate informal collaborations and idea development
  • commercially exploit your know-how
  • review and negotiate confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements
  • secure ownership of intellectual property developed through use of confidential information

To speak to one of our expert IP solicitors, call us on 0131 478 4724 or complete an Online Enquiry to request a call back.

Arrange a meeting

If you are looking for expert advice regarding any area of IP law, get in touch with our expert solicitors today. Call us on 0131 478 4724, or complete our online enquiry form and a member of the team will get back to you.

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