#17: How to Protect Your Company's Confidential Information

Objective: To help you protect your company's proprietary and privileged information from misuse and/or dissemination by potential buyers, lenders, investors, executives and employees, consultants, advisers, salespeople, agents and reps, and competitors.

When distributing sensitive information on your company, such as financial statements, customer lists, tax returns, and marketing or business plans, you want to have each recipient sign a Confidentiality Agreement. This precaution also applies to potential investors, lenders, and buyers of the company, particularly those who currently are competitors or sell within the same industry. You don't want confidential company information getting wide circulation or being used against you.

A formal agreement puts individuals and companies on written notice that they have agreed to the restrictions and that they are expected to refrain from using confidential information except for the purposes outlined in the agreement. It also holds out the threat of possible future legal action against those who improperly use the information.

This Resource Report explains how to avoid misuse of a company's proprietary information and contains a sample Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement. The agreement covers which assets to protect, restrictions on dissemination or copying, ownership of the information, limitations on use, warranties, representations, and disclaimers – all critical provisions to protect you and the company.

Price: $39.00   |   Pages: 8