Inventions and Confidential Information The parties hereto recognize that a major need of the Company is to preserve its specialized knowledge, trade secrets, and confidential information. The strength and good will of the Company is derived from the specialized knowledge, trade secrets, and confidential information generated from experience with the activities undertaken by the Company and its subsidiaries. The disclosure of this information and knowledge to competitors would be beneficial to them and detrimental to the Company, as would the disclosure of information about the marketing practices, pricing practices, costs, profit margins, design specifications, analytical techniques, and similar items of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Employee acknowledges that the proprietary information, observations and data obtained by him while employed by the Company concerning the business or affairs of the Company are the property of the Company. By reason of his being a senior executive of the Company, the Employee has or will have access to, and has obtained or will obtain, specialized knowledge, trade secrets and confidential information about the Company’s operations and the operations of its subsidiaries, which operations extend throughout the United States. Therefore, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, the Employee hereby agrees as follows, recognizing that the Company is relying on these agreements in entering into this Agreement:
Confidentiality of Company Information Placement Agent, and its officers, directors, employees and agents shall maintain in strict confidence and not copy, disclose or transfer to any other party (a) all confidential business and financial information regarding the Company and its affiliates, including without limitation, projections, business plans, marketing plans, product development plans, pricing, costs, customer, vendor and supplier lists and identification, channels of distribution, and terms of identification of proposed or actual contracts and (b) all confidential technology of the Company. In furtherance of the foregoing, Placement Agent agrees that it shall not transfer, transmit, distribute, download or communicate, in any electronic, digitized or other form or media, any of the confidential technology of the Company. The foregoing is not intended to preclude the Placement Agent from utilizing, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Offering Materials or other documents prepared or approved by the Company for use in the Offering. All communications regarding any possible transactions, requests for due diligence or other information, requests for facility tours, product demonstrations or management meetings, will be submitted or directed to the Company, and Placement Agent shall not contact any employees, customers, suppliers or contractors of the Company or its affiliates without express permission. Nothing herein shall constitute a grant of authority to Placement Agent or any representatives thereof to remove, examine or copy any particular document or types of information regarding the Company, and the Company shall retain control over the particular documents or items to be provided, examined or copied. If the Offering is not consummated, or if at any time the Company so requests, Placement Agent and its representatives will return to the Company all copies of information regarding the Company in their possession. The provisions of this Section shall survive any termination hereof.
Confidential Information and Inventions (a) The Executive recognizes and acknowledges that in the course of his duties he is likely to receive confidential or proprietary information owned by the Company, its affiliates or third parties with whom the Company or any such affiliates has an obligation of confidentiality. Accordingly, during and after the Term, the Executive agrees to keep confidential and not disclose or make accessible to any other person or use for any other purpose other than in connection with the fulfillment of his duties under this Agreement, any Confidential and Proprietary Information (as defined below) owned by, or received by or on behalf of, the Company or any of its affiliates. “Confidential and Proprietary Information” shall include, but shall not be limited to, confidential or proprietary scientific or technical information, data, formulas and related concepts, business plans (both current and under development), client lists, promotion and marketing programs, trade secrets, or any other confidential or proprietary business information relating to development programs, costs, revenues, marketing, investments, sales activities, promotions, credit and financial data, manufacturing processes, financing methods, plans or the business and affairs of the Company or of any affiliate or client of the Company. The Executive expressly acknowledges the trade secret status of the Confidential and Proprietary Information and that the Confidential and Proprietary Information constitutes a protectable business interest of the Company. The Executive agrees: (i) not to use any such Confidential and Proprietary Information for himself or others; and (ii) not to take any Company material or reproductions (including but not limited to writings, correspondence, notes, drafts, records, invoices, technical and business policies, computer programs or disks) thereof from the Company’s offices at any time during his employment by the Company, except as required in the execution of the Executive’s duties to the Company. The Executive agrees to return immediately all Company material and reproductions (including but not limited, to writings, correspondence, notes, drafts, records, invoices, technical and business policies, computer programs or disks) thereof in his possession to the Company upon request and in any event immediately upon termination of employment.
Secret Processes and Confidential Information For the Employment Term and thereafter (a) the Employee will not divulge, transmit or otherwise disclose (except as legally compelled by court order, and then only to the extent required, after prompt notice to both the Company and the Subsidiary of any such order), directly or indirectly, other than in the regular and proper course of business of the Company and/or the Subsidiary, any confidential knowledge or information with respect to the operations or finances of the Subsidiary or the Company or any of their subsidiaries or Affiliates, or with respect to confidential or secret processes, services, techniques, customers or plans with respect to the Company and/or the Subsidiary, and (b) the Employee will not use, directly or indirectly, any confidential information for the benefit of anyone other than the Company and/or the Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Employee has no obligation, express or implied, to refrain from using or disclosing to others any such knowledge or information which is or hereafter shall become available to the public other than through disclosure by the Employee. To the greatest extent possible, any Work Product (as hereinafter defined) shall be deemed to be "work made for hire" (as defined in the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C.A. ss. 101 et seq., as amended) and owned exclusively by the Subsidiary. The Employee hereby unconditionally and irrevocably transfers and assigns to the Subsidiary all right, title and interest the Employee may currently have or in the future may have by operation of law or otherwise in or to any Work Product, including, without limitation, all patents, copyrights, trademarks, service marks and other intellectual property rights. The Employee agrees to execute and deliver to the Subsidiary any transfers, assignments, documents or other instruments which the Company may deem necessary or appropriate to vest complete title and ownership of any Work Product, and all rights therein, exclusively in the Subsidiary. During the term of this Agreement and thereafter, Employee shall not take any action to disparage or criticize to any third parties any of the services of the Company and/or the Subsidiary or to commit any other action that injures or hinders the business relationships of the Company and/or the Subsidiary. All files, records, documents, memorandums, notes or other documents relating to the business of Company and/or the Subsidiary, whether prepared by Employee or otherwise coming into his possession in the course of the performance of his services under this Agreement, shall be the exclusive property of Company and shall be delivered to Company and not retained by Employee upon termination of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever.
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 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.
Trade Secrets and Confidential Information The Executive represents and warrants that: (i) the Executive is not subject to any legal or contractual duty or agreement that would prevent or prohibit the Executive from performing the Executive’s Duties for the Company or otherwise complying with this Agreement, and (ii) the Executive 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. The Executive agrees that the Executive will not: (1) use, disclose, or reverse engineer the Trade Secrets or the Confidential Information for any purpose other than the Company’s Business, except as authorized in writing by the Company; (2) during the Executive’s employment with the Company, use, disclose, or reverse engineer (a) any confidential information or trade secrets of any former employer or third party, or (b) any works of authorship developed in whole or in part by the Executive during any former employment or for any other party, unless authorized in writing by the former employer or third party; or (3) upon the Executive’s resignation or termination (a) retain Trade Secrets or Confidential Information, including any copies existing in any form (including electronic form), which are in the Executive’s possession or control, or (b) destroy, delete, or alter the Trade Secrets or Confidential Information without the Company’s written consent. The obligations under this subsection A shall: (I) with regard to the Trade Secrets, remain in effect as long as the information constitutes a trade secret under applicable law, and (II) with regard to the Confidential Information, remain in effect during the Restricted Period. 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.
Scope of Confidential Information Executive acknowledges that the Company has developed, and will during the term of Executive’s employment continue to develop, substantial, confidential, competitively valuable information and other intangible or “intellectual property” in connection with its business, some or all of which is proprietary to the Company, (collectively, the “Confidential Information”). Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, Executive expressly recognizes and agrees that, subject to the remainder of this Section 5.2, the following items, and all copies, summaries, extracts or derivative works thereof, are entitled to trade secret protection and constitute Confidential Information under this Agreement, whether developed prior to the date hereof or thereafter, and whether with the assistance of Executive or otherwise: (i) the Company’s proprietary computer software, databases and lists of customers, prospects, candidates, and employees; employee applications; skills inventory sheets and similar summaries of employee qualifications, as well as employee compensation; customer ordering habits, billing rates, buying preferences, and short term needs; sales reports and analysis; (ii) employee reports and analysis; customer job orders and profit margin data; businesses processes, methods of operation and sales techniques; (iii) statistical information regarding the Company; (iv) financial information of the Company and its customers that is not publicly available; (v) specially negotiated terms and pricing with vendors and customers; (vi) research and development, business projects, strategic business plans, and strategies; products and solution services offered to customers; and (vii) any other non-public information of the Company that gives the Company a competitive advantage by virtue of it not being generally known. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Confidential Information shall not include (a) any information which is or becomes publicly available, other than as a result of the wrongful action of Executive or his agents; (b) any information independently developed by Executive subsequent to the Date of Termination; (c) any information made available to Executive following the termination of Executive’s employment from a third party not known by Executive to be under binder of confidentiality to the Company with regard thereto or (d) any information as to which the Company specifically waives its rights hereunder pursuant to an instrument in writing.
Return of Confidential Information Subject to Section 4.2(e) of this Agreement, upon the request of a party, the other party shall return all Confidential Information to the other; provided, however, (i) each party shall be permitted to retain copies of the other party’s Confidential Information solely for archival, audit, disaster recovery, legal and/or regulatory purposes, and (ii) neither party will be required to search archived electronic back-up files of its computer systems for the other party’s Confidential Information in order to purge the other party’s Confidential Information from its archived files; provided further, that any Confidential Information so retained will (x) remain subject to the obligations and restrictions contained in this Agreement, (y) will be maintained in accordance with the retaining party’s document retention policies and procedures, and (z) the retaining party will not use the retained Confidential Information for any other purpose.
