Confidential Information During the course of this Agreement, each Party (the “Disclosing Party”) may disclose to the other Party (the “Receiving Party”) certain confidential and/or proprietary information of the Disclosing Party (“Confidential Information”). The Receiving Party agrees to protect the Confidential Information in the same manner that it protects the confidentiality of its own confidential and/or proprietary information of like kind, but in no event using less than a reasonable standard of care. Except with the Disclosing Party’s prior written consent, the Receiving Party shall not (a) disclose or use any Confidential Information for any purpose outside the scope of this Agreement; or (b) disclose or make the Confidential Information available to any party, except on a “need to know” basis to the Receiving Party’s employees, contractors, and agents that have signed an agreement containing non-disclosure and non-use provisions substantially similar to those set forth herein. Confidential Information shall not include any information that (i) is or becomes generally known to the public, other than as a result of an act or omission of the Receiving Party; (ii) was rightfully known to the Receiving Party prior to its disclosure by the Disclosing Party; (iii) was lawfully received from a third party without breach of any obligation owed to the Disclosing Party; or (iv) was independently developed by the Receiving Party without use of or reliance on Confidential Information. If the Receiving Party is required by applicable law or regulation to disclose or otherwise report Confidential Information, it shall provide prompt notice of such required disclosure (to the extent legally permitted) and reasonable assistance, at the Disclosing Party's cost, if the Disclosing Party wishes to contest the disclosure. Due to the unique nature of the Confidential Information, the Parties agree that there can be no adequate remedy at law for the Receiving Party’s breach of its obligations under this Section, and any such breach may result in irreparable harm to the Disclosing Party. Therefore, upon any such breach or threat thereof, the Disclosing Party shall be entitled to seek injunctive and other appropriate equitable relief in addition to any other remedies available to it. Upon written request from the Disclosing Party, the Receiving Party shall return to the Disclosing Party all Confidential Information in the Receiving Party’s possession or control, and all copies thereof, or, at the Disclosing Party’s option, certify its permanent, secure destruction in writing.
