Protection of Confidential Information; Non-Competition 4.1. Executive acknowledges that:
(1) As a result of his current employment with the Company, Executive will obtain secret and confidential information concerning the business of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates (referred to collectively in this Article 4 as the “Company”), including, without limitations, financial information, designs and other proprietary rights, trade secrets and “know-how,” customers and sources (“Confidential Information”).
(2) The Company will suffer substantial damage which will be difficult to compute if, during the period of his employment with the Company or thereafter, Executive should enter a business competitive with the Company or divulge Confidential Information.
(3) The provisions of this Agreement are reasonable and necessary for the protection of the business of the Company.
4.2. Executive agrees that he will not at any time, either during the term of this Agreement or thereafter, divulge to any person or entity any Confidential Information obtained or learned by him as a result of his employment with the Company, except (i) in the course of performing his duties hereunder, (ii) to the extent that any such information is in the public domain other than as a result of Executive’s breach of any of his obligations hereunder, (iii) where required to be disclosed by court order, subpoena or other government process or (iv) if such disclosure is made without Executive’s knowing intent to cause material harm to the Company. If Executive shall be required to make disclosure pursuant to the provisions of clause (iii) of the preceding sentence, Executive promptly, but in no event more than 72 hours after learning of such subpoena, court order, or other government process, shall notify, by personal delivery or by electronic means, confirmed by mail, the Company and, at the Company’s expense, Executive shall: (a) take reasonably necessary and lawful steps required by the Company to defend against the enforcement of such subpoena, court order or other government process, and (b) permit the Company to intervene and participate with counsel of its choice in any proceeding relating to the enforcement thereof.
4.3. Upon termination of his employment with the Company, Executive will promptly deliver to the Company all memoranda, notes, records, reports, manuals, drawings, blue-prints and other documents (and all copies thereof) relating to the business of the Company and all property associated therewith, which he may then possess or have under his control; provided, however, that the Executive shall be entitled to retain one copy of such documents for his personal use and records.
4.4. During the period commencing with the start date of employment under this agreement and terminating three years after termination of employment: (A) Executive, without the prior written permission of the Company, shall not, anywhere in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan, (i) enter into the employ of or render any services to any person, firm or corporation engaged in any business which is directly in competition with the Company’s principal existing business at the time of termination (“Competitive Business”); (ii) engage in any Competitive Business as an individual, partner, shareholder, creditor, director, officer, principal, agent, employee, trustee consultant, advisor or in any other relationship or capacity; (iv) employ, or have or cause any other person or entity to employ, any person who was employed by the Company at the time of termination of Executive’s employment by the Company (other than Executive’s personal secretary and assistant); or (v) solicit, interfere with, or endeavor to entice away from the Company, for the benefit of a Competitive Business, any of its customers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall not be precluded from investing and managing the investment of, his or his family’s assets in the securities of any corporation or other business entity which is engaged in a Competitive Business if such securities are traded on a national stock exchange or in the over-the-counter market and if such investment does not result in his beneficially owning, at any time, more than 5% of any class of the publicly-traded equity securities of such Competitive Business; provided, however, that for a period commencing with the start date of employment under this agreement and terminating three years after termination of Executive’s employment (except for investments in a class of securities trading on public markets), Executive shall refer to the Company for consideration (before any other party) any and all opportunities to acquire or purchase, or otherwise make equity or debt investments in, companies primarily involved in a Competitive Business if such opportunities becomes known to Executive while he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. If the Company determines not to exploit any opportunity referred to in the foregoing sentence, the Company shall determine what, if anything, should be done with such opportunity. Executive shall not be entitled to any compensation, as a finder or otherwise, if either the Company or Executive introduces such opportunity to other persons, it being understood that all such compensation shall be paid to the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Company terminates this Agreement without “cause” or if Executive terminates this Agreement for Good Reason under Section 3.5 hereof, Executive’s obligations under this Section 4.4 shall terminate one month following termination.
4.5. If Executive commits a breach of any of the provisions of Sections 4.2 or 4.4, the Company shall have the right:
(1) to have the provisions of this Agreement specifically enforced by any court having equity jurisdiction, it being acknowledged and agreed by Executive that the services being rendered hereunder to the Company are of a special, unique and extraordinary character and that any breach or threatened breach will cause irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not provide an adequate remedy to the Company; and
(2) to require Executive to account for and pay over to the Company all monetary damages determined by a non-appealable decision by a court of law to have been suffered by the Company as the result of any actions constituting a breach of any of the provisions of Section 4.2 or 4.4, and Executive hereby agrees to account for and pay over such damages to the Company (up to the maximum of all payments made under the Agreement).
4.6. If Executive shall violate any covenant contained in Section 4.4, the duration of such covenant so violated shall be automatically extended for a period of time equal to the period of such violation.
4.7. If any provision of Sections 4.2 or 4.4 is held to be unenforceable because of the scope, duration or area of its applicability, the tribunal making such determination shall not have the power to modify such scope, duration, or area, or all of them and such provision or provisions shall be void ab initio.
Confidential Information and Trade Secrets During the period of my employment with the Company, I acknowledge that the Company may disclose to me confidential and proprietary information of the Company which the Company takes great pains to safeguard from unauthorized use and disclosure. I agree at all times during the term of my employment and thereafter, to hold in strictest confidence, and not to use or to disclose to any person, firm or corporation, except as such use or disclosure is required in connection with my work for the Company or unless the Chief Executive Officer of the Company otherwise expressly authorizes in writing, any Confidential Information (defined below) before it has become generally known within the relevant industry through no fault of my own. I understand and agree that “Confidential Information” means any non-public information that does not otherwise qualify as Trade Secrets (defined below) that relates to the actual or demonstrably anticipated business or research or development of the Company or any other information which is marked “confidential” or which might reasonably be anticipated to be confidential in nature. I further agree, at all times during my employment and anytime thereafter, to hold in strictest confidence, and not to use or disclose to any person, firm or corporation, except as such use or disclosure is required in connection with my work for the Company or unless the Chief Executive Officer of the Company expressly authorizes such use or disclosure in writing, any Trade Secret (defined below) before it has become generally known in the public domain through no fault of my own. I understand and agree that “Trade Secrets” are information, regardless of form, belonging to the Company, licensed by it, or disclosed to it on a confidential basis by its customers, suppliers, or other third parties, including, but not limited to technical and non-technical data, formulae, patterns, compilations, programs, devices, methods, techniques, drawings, processes, financial data, financial plans, product plans, and lists of actual or potential customers or suppliers which is not commonly known in the public domain and which (i) derives economic value, economic or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use; and (ii) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy, or any other information that constitutes a trade secret under common law.
Confidential Information and Inventions (a) The Executive recognizes and acknowledges that in the course of his duties he is likely to receive confidential or proprietary information owned by the Company, its affiliates or third parties with whom the Company or any such affiliates has an obligation of confidentiality. Accordingly, during and after the Term, the Executive agrees to keep confidential and not disclose or make accessible to any other person or use for any other purpose other than in connection with the fulfillment of his duties under this Agreement, any Confidential and Proprietary Information (as defined below) owned by, or received by or on behalf of, the Company or any of its affiliates. “Confidential and Proprietary Information” shall include, but shall not be limited to, business plans (both current and under development), client lists, promotion and marketing programs, trade secrets, or any other confidential or proprietary business information relating to business operations of the Company The Executive expressly acknowledges the trade secret status of the Confidential and Proprietary Information and that the Confidential and Proprietary Information constitutes a protectable business interest of the Company. The Executive agrees: (i) not to use any such Confidential and Proprietary Information for himself or others; and (ii) not to take any Company material or reproductions (including but not limited to writings, correspondence, notes, drafts, records, invoices, technical and business policies, computer programs or disks) thereof from the Company’s offices at any time during his employment by the Company, except as required in the execution of the Executive’s duties to the Company. The Executive agrees to return immediately all Company material and reproductions (including but not limited, to writings, correspondence, notes, drafts, records, invoices, technical and business policies, computer programs or disks) thereof in his possession to the Company upon request and in any event immediately upon termination of employment.
(b) Except with prior written authorization by the Company, the Executive agrees not to disclose or publish any of the Confidential and Proprietary Information, or business information of any other party to whom the Company or any of its affiliates owes an obligation of confidence, at any time during or after his employment with the Company.
Confidential Information; Inventions (a) The Executive shall not disclose or use at any time, either during the Period of Employment or thereafter, any Confidential Information (as defined below) of which the Executive is or becomes aware, whether or not such information is developed by Executive, except to the extent that such disclosure or use is directly related to and required by the Executive’s performance in good faith of duties for the Company. The Executive will take all appropriate steps to safeguard Confidential Information in Executive’s possession and to protect it against disclosure, misuse, espionage, loss and theft. The Executive shall deliver to the Company at the termination of the Period of Employment, or at any time the Company may request, all memoranda, notes, plans, records, reports, computer tapes and software and other documents and data (and copies thereof) relating to the Confidential Information or the Work Product (as hereinafter defined) of the business of the Company or any of its Affiliates which the Executive may then possess or have under Executive’s control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may truthfully respond to a lawful and valid subpoena or other legal process, but shall give the Company the earliest possible notice thereof, shall, as much in advance of the return date as possible, make available to the Company and its counsel the documents and other information sought, and shall assist the Company and such counsel in resisting or otherwise responding to such process. Nothing in this Agreement prohibits Executive from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity, or making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation. Executive does not need the prior authorization to make any such reports or disclosures and is not required to notify the Employer of such reports or disclosures.
(b) As used in this Agreement, the term “Confidential Information” means information that is not generally known to the public and that is used, developed or obtained by the Company or its Affiliates in connection with their businesses, including, but not limited to, information, observations and data obtained by the Executive while employed by the Company or any predecessors thereof (including those obtained prior to the Effective Date) concerning (i) the business or affairs of the Company (or such predecessors), (ii) products or services, (iii) fees, costs and pricing structures, (iv) designs, (v) analyses, (vi) drawings, photographs and reports, (vii) computer software, including operating systems, applications and program listings, (viii) flow charts, manuals and documentation, (ix) data bases, (x) accounting and business methods, (xi) inventions, devices, new developments, methods and processes, whether patentable or unpatentable and whether or not reduced to practice, (xii) customers and clients and customer or client lists, (xiii) other copyrightable works, (xiv) all production methods, processes, technology and trade secrets, and (xv) all similar and related information in whatever form. Confidential Information will not include any information that has been published (other than a disclosure by the Executive in breach of this Agreement) in a form generally available to the public prior to the date the Executive proposes to disclose or use such information. Confidential Information will not be deemed to have been published merely because individual portions of the information have been separately published, but only if all material features comprising such information have been published in combination.
Proprietary Information; Confidentiality All drawings, models, documents, confidential records, software and other information supplied by Seller are supplied on the express understanding that all copyright and design rights are reserved to Seller and that Buyer will not, without the written consent of Seller, either give away, loan, exhibit, or sell such drawings, models, documents, confidential records, computer software or other information or extracts therefrom or copies thereof or use them in any way except in connection with the Goods in respect of which they are issued. Buyer shall consider all information furnished by Seller, which was not previously publicly disclosed by Seller, to be confidential and shall not copy nor disclose any such information to any other person, nor use any such information for commercial purposes, nor make copies of such information without written permission from Seller. Buyer shall not disclose any information relating to any order without Seller’s written permission. Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the parties, no commercial, financial or technical information disclosed in any manner or at any time by Buyer to Seller shall be deemed secret or confidential and Buyer shall have no rights against Seller with respect thereto.
Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreements Executive’s receipt of any payments or benefits under Section 3 (other than the accrued benefits set forth in Section 3(a)(i) or Section 3(b)(i)) will be subject to Executive continuing to comply with the terms of the At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment and Arbitration Agreement between the Company and Executive, as such agreement may be amended from time to time.
Proprietary Information and Confidentiality Both before and during the term of Executive’s employment, Executive will have access to and become acquainted with Company confidential and proprietary information (together “Proprietary Information”), including but not limited to information or plans concerning the Company’s products and technologies; customer relationships; personnel; sales, marketing and financial operations and methods; trade secrets; formulae and secret developments and inventions; processes; and other compilations of information, records, and specifications. Executive will not disclose any of the Proprietary Information directly or indirectly, or use it in any way, either during his/her employment pursuant to this Agreement or at any time thereafter, except as reasonably required or specifically requested in the course of his/her employment with the Company or as authorized in writing by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Proprietary Information does not include information that is otherwise publicly known or available, provided it has not become public as a result of a breach of this Agreement or any other agreement Executive has to keep information confidential. It is not a breach of this Agreement for Executive to disclose Proprietary Information (i) pursuant to an order of a court or other governmental or legal body or (ii) in connection with Protected Activity (as defined below). Executive understands that nothing in this Agreement shall in any way limit or prohibit Executive from engaging in any Protected Activity. For purposes of this Agreement, “Protected Activity” means filing a charge or complaint with, or otherwise communicating or cooperating with or participating in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any federal, state or local government agency or commission, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Labor Relations Board (“Government Agencies”). Executive understands that in connection with such Protected Activity, Executive is permitted to disclose documents or other information as permitted by law, and without giving notice to, or receiving authorization from, the Company. Notwithstanding, in making any such disclosures or communications, Executive agrees to take all reasonable precautions to prevent any unauthorized use or disclosure of any information that may constitute Proprietary Information to any parties other than the Government Agencies. Executive further understands that “Protected Activity” does not include the disclosure of any Company attorney-client privileged communications. In addition, Executive hereby acknowledges that the Company has provided Executive with notice in compliance with the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 regarding immunity from liability for limited disclosures of trade secrets. The full text of the notice is attached in Exhibit B.
Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreements The Company shall require all employees and consultants with access to confidential information to execute and deliver a Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement in substantially the form approved by the Company’s Board of Directors.
Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement Executive acknowledges that he has previously executed and delivered to an officer of the Company the Company’s Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement (the “Confidentiality Agreement”) and that the Confidentiality Agreement remains in full force and effect.
Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement The Company shall require all employees and consultants to execute and deliver a Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement substantially in a form approved by the Company’s counsel or Board of Directors.
