Use of Proprietary Information Officer recognizes that Corporation possesses a proprietary interest in all of the information described in Section 6 and has the exclusive right and privilege to use, protect by copyright, patent or trademark, manufacture or otherwise exploit the processes, ideas and concepts described therein to the exclusion of Officer, except as otherwise agreed between Corporation and Officer in writing. Officer expressly agrees that any products, inventions, discoveries or improvements made by Officer, his agents or affiliates based on or arising out of the information described in Section 6 shall be (i) deemed a work made for hire under the terms of United States Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq., and Corporation shall be the owner of all such rights with respect thereto and (ii) the property of and inure to the exclusive benefit of Corporation.
Non-Disclosure of Proprietary Information The Officer acknowledges that all Proprietary Information is received or developed by him in confidence and is the property of the Company. During the period of engagement and thereafter, the Officer will not, directly or indirectly, except as required by the normal business of the Company or expressly consented to in writing by the Company:
(i) disclose, publish or make available, other than to an authorized employee, officer, or Officer of the Company, any Proprietary Information;
(ii) sell, transfer or otherwise use or exploit any Proprietary Information;
(iii) permit the sale, transfer, or use or exploitation of any Proprietary Information by any third party; or
(iv) retain upon termination or expiration of the Period of Engagement any Proprietary Information, any copies thereof or any other tangible or retrievable materials containing or constituting Proprietary Information.
Return of Proprietary Information 20.6.1 All Proprietary Information, other than Derivative Information, shall remain the property of the Disclosing Party, and all documents or other tangible media delivered to the Receiving Party that embody such Proprietary Information shall be, at the option of the Disclosing Party, either promptly returned to Disclosing Party or destroyed, except as otherwise may be required from time to time by Applicable Law (in which case the use and disclosure of such Proprietary Information will continue to be subject to this Agreement), upon the earlier of (i) the date on which the Receiving Party’s need for it has expired and (ii) the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
20.6.2 At the request of the Disclosing Party, any Derivative Information shall be, at the option of the Receiving Party, either promptly returned to the Disclosing Party or destroyed, except as otherwise may be required from time to time by Applicable Law (in which case the use and disclosure of such Derivative Information will continue to be subject to this Agreement), upon the earlier of (i) the date on which the Receiving Party’s need for it has expired and (ii) the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
20.6.3 The Receiving Party may at any time either return the Proprietary Information to the Disclosing Party or destroy such Proprietary Information. If the Receiving Party elects to destroy Proprietary Information, all copies of such information shall be destroyed and upon the written request of the Disclosing Party, the Receiving Party shall provide to the Disclosing Party written certification of such destruction. The destruction or return of Proprietary information shall not relieve any Receiving Party of its obligation to continue to treat such Proprietary Information in the manner required by this Agreement.
Protection of Proprietary Information The Seller has taken all reasonable steps to maintain the confidentiality of and otherwise protect and enforce their rights in all proprietary information pertaining to the Seller or any Seller Product. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no portion of the source code for any software ever owned or developed by the Seller has been disclosed or licensed to any escrow agent or other Person.
Nondisclosure of Proprietary Information (a) Except in connection with the faithful performance of Executive’s duties hereunder or pursuant to Section 7(c) or (e), Executive shall, in perpetuity, maintain in confidence and shall not directly, indirectly or otherwise, use, disseminate, disclose or publish, or use for Executive’s benefit or the benefit of any person, firm, corporation or other entity (other than the Company) any confidential or proprietary information or trade secrets of or relating to the Company (including business plans, business strategies and methods, acquisition targets, intellectual property in the form of patents, trademarks and copyrights and applications therefor, ideas, inventions, works, discoveries, improvements, information, documents, formulae, practices, processes, methods, developments, source code, modifications, technology, techniques, data, programs, other know-how or materials, owned, developed or possessed by the Company, whether in tangible or intangible form, information with respect to the Company’s operations, processes, products, inventions, business practices, finances, principals, vendors, suppliers, customers, potential customers, marketing methods, costs, prices, contractual relationships, regulatory status, prospects and compensation paid to employees or other terms of employment) (collectively, the “Confidential Information”), or deliver to any person, firm, corporation or other entity any document, record, notebook, computer program or similar repository of or containing any such Confidential Information. The Parties hereby stipulate and agree that, as between them, any item of Confidential Information is important, material and confidential and affects the successful conduct of the businesses of the Company (and any successor or assignee of the Company). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Confidential Information shall not include any information that has been published in a form generally available to the public or is publicly available or has become public knowledge prior to the date Executive proposes to disclose or use such information, provided that such publishing or public availability or knowledge of the Confidential Information shall not have resulted from Executive directly or indirectly breaching Executive’s obligations under this Section 7(a) or any other similar provision by which Executive is bound, or from any third-party known by Executive to be breaching a provision similar to that found under this Section 7(a). For the purposes of the previous sentence, Confidential Information will not be deemed to have been published or otherwise disclosed merely because individual portions of the information have been separately published, but only if material features comprising such information have been published or become publicly available.
(b) Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason, Executive will promptly deliver to the Company all correspondence, drawings, manuals, letters, notes, notebooks, reports, programs, plans, proposals, financial documents, or any other documents or property concerning the Company’s customers, business plans, marketing strategies, products, property or processes, provided that Executive may retain his compensation-related information, personal journal and rolodex, address book, appointment book, calendar and/or contact list.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 7(a), Executive may respond to a lawful and valid subpoena or other legal process but shall give the Company the earliest practicable notice thereof, shall, as much in advance of the return date as practicable, make available to the Company and its counsel the documents and other information sought and shall assist such counsel at Company’s sole expense in resisting or otherwise responding to such process, in each case to the extent permitted by applicable laws or rules.
(d) As used in this Section 7 and Section 8, the term “Company” shall include the Company and its direct and indirect subsidiaries.
(e) Nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit Executive from (i) disclosing information and documents when required by law, subpoena or court order (subject to the requirements of Section 7(c) above), (ii) disclosing information and documents to Executive’s attorney, financial or tax adviser for the purpose of securing legal, financial or tax advice, (iii) disclosing Executive’s post-employment restrictions in this Agreement in confidence to any potential new employer, or (iv) retaining, at any time, Executive’s personal correspondence, Executive’s personal contacts and documents related to Executive’s own personal benefits, entitlements and obligations.
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.
Treatment of Proprietary and Confidential Information A. Both parties agree that it may be necessary to provide each other during the term of this Agreement with certain confidential information, including trade secret information, including but not limited to, technical and business plans, technical information, proposals, specifications, drawings, procedures, customer account data and like information (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Information”). Both parties agree that all Information shall either be in writing or other tangible format and clearly marked with a confidential, private or proprietary legend, or, when the Information is communicated orally, it shall also be communicated that the Information is confidential, private or proprietary. The Information will be returned to the owner within a reasonable time. Both parties agree that the Information shall not be copied or reproduced in any form. Both parties agree to receive such Information and not disclose such Information. Both parties agree to protect the Information received from distribution, disclosure or dissemination to anyone except employees of the parties with a need to know such Information and which employees agree to be bound by the terms of this Section. Both parties will use the same standard of care to protect Information received as they would use to protect their own confidential and proprietary Information.
B. Notwithstanding the foregoing, both parties agree that there will be no obligation to protect any portion of the Information that is either: 1) made publicly available by the owner of the Information or lawfully disclosed by a nonparty to this Agreement; 2) lawfully obtained from any source other than the owner of the Information; or 3) previously known to the receiving party without an obligation to keep it confidential.
Confidential Information and Non-Solicitation (a) The Executive shall hold in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the Company all secret or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates, which shall have been obtained by the Executive in connection with the Executive’s employment by the Company and which shall not be or become public knowledge (other than by acts by the Executive or representatives of the Executive in violation of this Agreement). After termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company, the Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company or as may otherwise be required by law or legal process, communicate or divulge any such information, knowledge or data, to anyone other than the Company and those designated by it; provided, however, that if the Executive receives actual notice that the Executive is or may be required by law or legal process to communicate or divulge any such information, knowledge or data, the Executive shall promptly so notify the Company.
(b) While employed by the Company and, for a period of one (1) year after the Date of Termination, the Executive shall not directly or indirectly solicit, induce, or encourage any employee or consultant of any member of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates to terminate their employment or other relationship with the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates or to cease to render services to any member of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates and the Executive shall not initiate discussion with any such person for any such purpose or authorize or knowingly cooperate with the taking of any such actions by any other individual or entity. During his employment with the Company and thereafter, the Executive shall not use any trade secret of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates to solicit, induce, or encourage any customer, client, vendor, or other party doing business with any member of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates to terminate its relationship therewith or transfer its business from any member of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates and the Executive shall not initiate discussion with any such person for any such purpose or authorize or knowingly cooperate with the taking of any such actions by any other individual or entity.
(c) In recognition of the facts that irreparable injury will result to the Company in the event of a breach by the Executive of his obligations under Sections 7(a) and (b) hereof, that monetary damages for such breach would not be readily calculable, and that the Company would not have an adequate remedy at law therefor, the Executive acknowledges, consents and agrees that in the event of such breach, or the threat thereof, the Company shall be entitled, in addition to any other legal remedies and damages available, to specific performance thereof and to temporary and permanent injunctive relief (without the necessity of posting a bond) to restrain the violation or threatened violation of such obligations by the Executive.
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 Agreements Each employee and officer of the Company has executed a Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement, and each consultant to the Company has executed a Consulting Agreement in substantially the forms made available to the Investors. The Company is not aware that any of its employees, officers or consultants are in violation thereof, and the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent any such violation.
