THIS MUTUAL NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into between The ECM Group, LLC and enquiring company as of this day.
1. Purpose. The Parties wish to explore a business opportunity concerning the potential manufacturing of certain Electronic Components or other transaction (“Business Purpose”) and in connection with this opportunity, each party may disclose to the other certain confidential technical and business information which the disclosing party desires the receiving party to treat as confidential.
2. "Confidential Information" means any information disclosed by either party to the other party, either directly or indirectly, in writing, orally or by inspection of tangible objects (including without limitation documents, prototypes, samples, software, and source code), which is designated as "Confidential," "Proprietary" or some similar designation. Information communicated orally shall be considered Confidential Information if such information is confirmed in writing as being Confidential Information within a reasonable time after the initial disclosure. Confidential Information may also include information disclosed to a disclosing party by third parties. Confidential Information shall not, however, include any information which (i) was publicly known and made generally available in the public domain prior to the time of disclosure by the disclosing party; (ii) becomes publicly known and made generally available after disclosure by the disclosing party to the receiving party through no action or inaction of the receiving party; (iii) is already in the possession of the receiving party at the time of disclosure by the disclosing party as shown by the receiving party's files and records immediately prior to the time of disclosure; (iv) is obtained by the receiving party from a third party without a breach of such third party's obligations of confidentiality; (v) is independently developed by the receiving party without use of or reference to the disclosing party's Confidential Information, as shown by documents and other competent evidence in the receiving party's possession; or (vi) is required by law to be disclosed by the receiving party, provided that the receiving party gives the disclosing party prompt written notice of such requirement prior to such disclosure, if permitted by law, and assistance in obtaining an order protecting the information from public disclosure.
3. Non-use and Non-disclosure. Each party agrees not to use or benefit from or seek to benefit from any Confidential Information of the other party for any purpose except to evaluate and engage in discussions concerning the Business Purpose. Each party agrees not to disclose any Confidential Information of the other party to any third parties, except to the party’s employees, directors, affiliates and partners (“Representatives”) involved in evaluating the contemplated business relationship. Neither party shall reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile or reduce to a human perceivable form any prototypes, software or other tangible objects which embody the other party's Confidential Information and which are provided to the party hereunder.
4. Maintenance of Confidentiality. Each party agrees that it shall take reasonable measures to protect the secrecy of and avoid disclosure and unauthorized use of the Confidential Information of the other party. Without limiting the foregoing, each party shall take at least those measures that it takes to protect its own most highly confidential information and shall ensure that its employees who have access to Confidential Information of the other party have signed a non-use and non-disclosure agreement in content similar to the provisions hereof, prior to any disclosure of Confidential Information to such employees. Neither party shall make any copies of the Confidential Information of the other party unless the same are previously approved in writing by the other party. Each party shall reproduce the other party's proprietary rights notices on any such approved copies, in the same manner in which such notices were set forth in or on the original.
5. No Obligation. Nothing herein shall obligate either party to proceed with any transaction between them, and each party reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate the discussions contemplated by this Agreement concerning the Business Purpose.
6. No Warranty. ALL CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS". EACH PARTY MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, REGARDING ITS ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR PERFORMANCE.
7. Return of Materials. All documents and other tangible objects containing or representing Confidential Information which have been disclosed by either party to the other party, and all copies thereof which are in the possession of the other party, shall be and remain the property of the disclosing party and, along with written certification attesting thereto, shall be promptly returned to the disclosing party or destroyed upon the disclosing party's written request.
8. No License. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to grant any rights to either party under any patent, mask work right or copyright of the other party, nor shall this Agreement grant any party any rights in or to the Confidential Information of the other party except as expressly set forth herein.
9. Term. The obligations of each receiving party hereunder shall survive for a period of two (2) years.
10. Remedies. Each party agrees that any violation or threatened violation of this Agreement may cause Irreparable injury to the other party, entitling the other party to seek injunctive relief in addition to all legal remedies.
11. Miscellaneous. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their Successors and assigns. This Agreement shall be solely and exclusively governed by the laws of the State of Missouri, USA, as applicable to contracts to be performed entirely within the State of Missouri, USA. Venue for any dispute arising under or from this Agreement shall lie solely and exclusively in the State of Missouri, USA. and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction in any of the courts located in the State of Missouri, USA.. This document contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and neither party shall have any obligation, express or implied by law, with respect to trade secret or proprietary information of the other party except as set forth herein. Any failure to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver thereof or of any other provision. This Agreement may not be amended, nor any obligation waived, except by a writing signed by both parties hereto. Facsimile or electronically scanned signatures shall have the same force and effect as original signatures.