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.
Confidentiality of Proprietary Information Employee agrees, during or after the term of this employment, not to reveal confidential information, or trade secrets to any person, firm, corporation, or entity. Should Employee reveal or threaten to reveal this information, the Company shall be entitled to an injunction restraining the Employee from disclosing same, or from rendering any services to any entity to whom said information has been or is threatened to be disclosed. The right to secure an injunction is not exclusive, and the Company may pursue any other remedies it has against the Employee for a breach or threatened breach of this condition, including the recovery of damages from the Employee.
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.
Confidential Information; Non-Disclosure In consideration of your access to certain Confidential Information (as defined below) of the Company, in connection with your business relationship with the Company, you hereby represent and agree as follows:
Confidentiality and Trade Secrets (a) The Executive acknowledges and agrees that his position as an employee of the Company will afford him a unique opportunity to acquire confidential information concerning the Company and that the misappropriation or disclosure of such confidential information would cause irreparable harm to the Company. The Executive recognizes and agrees that he will have access to certain confidential information of the Company that is not generally available to the public and that such information constitutes valuable, special and unique property of the Company. The Executive acknowledges that such confidential information includes information concerning the Business and the Company including, without limitation, financial information concerning the Business or the Company, the names and addresses of actual and potential customers or acquisition or investment targets of the Business or the Company, studies of prospective market areas for the Business, supply sources, products, technical data, notes, diagrams, drawings, flow charts, ideas, techniques, specifications, procedures, processes, research, development, and trade secrets of the Business and the Company (such information whether related to the Business or the Company being referred to collectively as the “Confidential Information”). Confidential Information shall not include any information or documents (i) that are or become publicly available or otherwise known in the industry without breach of this Section 4.02; or (ii) that the Executive rightfully receives from any third party which is not breaching an obligation of confidence with the Company or without an accompanying obligation of confidence; or (iii) that were known to or by the Executive prior to his appointment with the Company without breach of this Section 4.02. In the event that the Executive is requested in any court or governmental proceeding to disclose any Confidential Information, the Executive shall give the Company prompt notice of such request such that the Company may seek a protective order or other appropriate relief and shall cooperate in all respects with the Company in its efforts in connection therewith.
(b) The Executive will keep confidential and will not, during his employment and for a period of five (5) years after any termination under this Agreement (whether by expiration or pursuant to Section 5.01 or otherwise), directly or indirectly, divulge to anyone, use or otherwise appropriate any of the Confidential Information for any reason or purpose whatsoever except to authorize representatives of the Company or when, in the good faith belief of the Executive, such disclosure is necessary or desirable in the normal course of the Business in order for the Executive to fulfill his duties and responsibilities to the Company as set out in Section 2.02.
(c) The Executive acknowledges and agrees that these prohibitions against disclosure of Confidential Information are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any rights or remedies which the Company may have available pursuant to the laws of any jurisdiction or at common law to prevent the disclosure of trade secrets or proprietary information, and the enforcement by the Company of any of their rights and remedies pursuant to this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any other rights or available remedies which they may possess in law or equity absent this Agreement.
(d) Upon any termination of his employment under this Agreement, the Executive shall surrender to the Company all documents and materials in his possession, custody or control embodying the Confidential Information or any part thereof.
Trade Secrets and Confidential Information (i) Executive represents and warrants that Executive (A) is not subject to any legal or contractual duty or agreement that would prevent or prohibit Executive from performing the duties contemplated by this Agreement or otherwise complying with this Agreement, and (B) is not in breach of any legal or contractual duty or agreement, including any agreement concerning trade secrets or confidential information owned by any other party.
(ii) Executive agrees that Executive will not (A) use, disclose or reverse engineer Trade Secrets or Confidential Information for any purpose other than the Company’s Business, except as authorized in writing by the Company; (B) during Executive’s employment with the Company, use, disclose or reverse engineer (1) any confidential information or trade secrets of any former employer or third party or (2) any works of authorship developed in whole or in part by Executive during any former employment or for any other party, unless authorized in writing by the former employer or third party; or (C) upon Executive’s resignation or termination with the Company (1) retain Trade Secrets or Confidential Information, including any copies existing in any form (including electronic form), which are in Executive’s possession or control or (2) destroy, delete or alter Trade Secrets or Confidential Information without the Company’s prior written consent.
(iii) The obligations under this Section 8 shall remain in effect as long as Trade Secrets and Confidential Information constitute trade secrets or confidential information under applicable law. The confidentiality, property and proprietary rights protections available in this Agreement are in addition to, and not exclusive of, any and all other rights to which the Company is entitled under federal and state law, including, but not limited to, rights provided under copyright laws, trade secret and confidential information laws and laws concerning fiduciary duties.
Non-Disclosure of Confidential Information (a) Executive acknowledges that the Company possesses certain confidential and propriety information that has been or may be revealed to him or learned by Executive during the course of Executive’s employment with the Company and that it would be unfair to use that information or knowledge to compete with or to otherwise disadvantage the Company. Executive shall not, during the Term of Employment or at any time following the Term of Employment, directly or indirectly, disclose or permit to be known (other than as is required in the regular course of his duties (including without limitation disclosures to the Company’s advisors and consultants), as required by law (in which case Executive shall give the Company prior written notice of such required disclosure) or with the prior written consent of the Board of Directors, to any person, firm, corporation, or other entity, any confidential information acquired by him during the course of, or as an incident to, his employment or the rendering of his advisory or consulting services hereunder, relating to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, the directors of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates, any supplier or customer of the Company or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates, or any corporation, partnership or other entity owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by any of the foregoing, or in which any of the foregoing has a beneficial interest, including, but not limited to, the business affairs of each of the foregoing. Such confidential information shall include, but shall not be limited to, proprietary technology, trade secrets, patented processes, research and development data, know-how, market studies and forecasts, financial data, competitive analyses, pricing policies, employee lists, personnel policies, the substance of agreements with customers, suppliers and others, marketing or dealership arrangements, servicing and training programs and arrangements, supplier lists, customer lists and any other documents embodying such confidential information. This confidentiality obligation shall not apply to any confidential information, which is or becomes publicly available other than pursuant to a breach of this paragraph 12(a) by Executive.
(b) All information and documents relating to the Company and its subsidiaries or affiliates as herein above described (or other business affairs) shall be the exclusive property of the Company, and Executive shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to prevent any publication or disclosure thereof. Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, all documents, records, reports, writings and other similar documents containing confidential information, including copies thereof then in Executive’s possession or control shall be returned and left with the Company.
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.
Protection of Confidential Information The Servicer shall keep confidential and shall not divulge to any party, without the Seller’s prior written consent, any nonpublic information pertaining to the Mortgage Loans or any borrower thereunder, except to the extent that it is appropriate for the Servicer to do so in working with legal counsel, auditors, taxing authorities or other governmental agencies or it is otherwise in accordance with Accepted Servicing Practices.
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.
