Re: N.D.A.'s

[Bob La Londe <none@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 5/15/2018 6:49 AM, RTS wrote:
 > Greetings Group,
 >
 > How many of you have had customers want you to sign a N.D.A.
(non-disclosure agreement)?
 >
 > How did you deal with it or them?
 >
 > After 42 years in the business I had one ask me yesterday for a N.D.A...
 >
 > I told them this morning I'd never be back..
 >
 > If they didn't trust me, no amount of paper would protect them...
 >


I had one client in the 23 years I was a contractor ask for an NDA.
They were developing an improved production line in a competitive
industry.  I added a limited five year time period, and a morals clause
that invalidated the agreement, and told them if every manager present
didn't sign and initial the penned in morals clause I was walking out.
It was short and fairly reasonable.  I probably did 400K-500K in
business for or directly because of that customer after that.

As a machinist I get people asking for NDAs and IP agreements all the
time.  Most are so restrictive they would theoretically prevent me from
working for anybody but them.  I tell them to go pound sand.  I also say
any IP and or NDA combined longer than 2 pages in large font will be
discarded unread.

The additional liability agreements that started appearing from
everybody from about the aughts were pretty onerous.  One actually
claimed the right to be able to tell me to fire people in my employ.  I
never signed a single one, and I notified every single one that I would
understand if they got somebody else, but if they failed to honor the
terms of their contract they would be liable for all losses and damages.
  Amazingly I kept all the good customers and lost all the ones who were
a huge pain in the ass.  50/50 split right down the middle.  It improved
my profitability to lose the problem customers.