Updated February 21, 2023
A California non-disclosure agreement is a document created to safeguard a business’s Confidential Information. More often than not, it is used by an employer and signed by an employee, restricting the latter from sharing Trade Secrets with competitors and the like during employment or afterward. In the case of a Trade Secret being released, a complainant may seek damages and compensation for any misappropriated information. The contract shall remain in effect until terminated by the owner of the Confidential Information (in the case of a Unilateral Agreement) until written notice is given releasing a party from the contract, or until the information no longer qualifies as a trade secret.
Laws – 3426 – 3426.11 (Uniform Trade Secrets Act)
“Trade Secret” Definition
“Trade secret” means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process, that:
(1) Derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to the public or to other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use; and
(2) Is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.