1. All written and oral information and materials disclosed or
provided by the Client to the Contractor under this Agreement
constitute Confidential Information regardless of whether such
information was provided before or after the date of this Agreement
or how it was provided to the Contractor.
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2. The Contractor acknowledges that in any position the Contractor
may hold, in and as a result of the Contractor's retainer by the
Client, the Contractor will, or may, be making use of, acquiring or
adding to information about certain matters and things which are
confidential to the Client and which information is the
exclusive property of the Client.
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3. 'Confidential Information' means all data and information relating
to the business and management of the Client, including but not
limited to, the following:
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a. 'Business Operations' which includes internal personnel and
financial information of the Client, vendor names and other vendor
information (including vendor characteristics, services and
agreements), purchasing and internal cost information, internal
services and operational manuals, external business contacts
including those stored on social media accounts or other similar
platforms or databases operated by the Client, and
the manner and methods of conducting the Client's business;
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b. 'Customer Information' which includes names of customers of the
Client, their representatives, all customer contact information,
contracts and their contents and parties, customer services, data
provided by customers and the type, quantity and specifications of
products and services purchased, leased, licensed or received
by customers of the Client;
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c. 'Intellectual Property' which includes information relating to the
Client's proprietary rights prior to any public disclosure of such
information, including but not limited to the nature of the
proprietary rights, production data, technical and engineering data,
technical concepts, test data and test results, simulation results, the
status and details of research and development of products and
services, and information regarding acquiring, protecting, enforcing
and licensing proprietary rights
(including patents, copyrights and trade secrets);
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d. 'Service Information' which includes all data and information
relating to the services provided by the Client, including but not
limited to, plans, schedules, manpower, inspection, and training
information;
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e. 'Product Information' which includes all
specifications for products of the Client as well as work product
resulting from or related to work or projects performed or to be
performed for the Client or for clients of the Client, of any type or
form in any stage of actual or anticipated research and development;
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f. 'Production Processes' which includes processes used in the
creation, production and manufacturing of the work product of the
Client, including but not limited to, formulas, patterns,
molds, models, methods, techniques, specifications, processes,
procedures, equipment, devices, programs, and designs;
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g. 'Accounting Information' which includes, without limitation, all
financial statements, annual reports, balance sheets, company asset
information, company liability information, revenue and expense
reporting, profit and loss reporting, cash flow reporting, accounts
receivable, accounts payable, inventory reporting, purchasing
information and payroll information of the Client;
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h. 'Marketing and Development Information' which includes
marketing and development plans of the Client, price and cost data,
price and fee amounts, pricing and billing policies, quoting
procedures, marketing techniques and methods of obtaining
business, forecasts and forecast assumptions and volumes, and
future plans and potential strategies of the Client which have been
or are being discussed;
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i. 'Computer Technology' which includes all scientific and technical
information or material of the Client, pertaining to any machine,
appliance or process, including but not limited to, specifications,
proposals, models, designs, formulas, test results and reports,
analyses, simulation results, tables of operating conditions,
materials, components, industrial skills, operating and testing
procedures, shop practices, know-how and show-how;
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j. 'Proprietary Computer Code' which includes all sets of statements,
instructions or programs of the Client, whether in human readable
or machine-readable form, that are expressed, fixed, embodied or
stored in any manner and that can be used directly or indirectly in a
computer ('Computer Programs'); any report format, design or
drawing created or produced by such Computer Programs; and all
documentation, design specifications and charts, and operating
procedures which support the Computer Programs; and
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k. Confidential Information will also include any information that
has been disclosed by a third party to the Client and is protected by
a non-disclosure agreement entered into between the third party
and the Client.
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4. Confidential Information will not include the following
information:
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a. Information that is generally known in the industry of the Client;
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b. Information that is now or subsequently becomes generally
available to the public through no wrongful act of the Contractor;
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c. Information rightly in the possession of the Contractor prior to
the disclosure to the Contractor by the Client;
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d. Information that is independently created by the Contractor
without direct or indirect use of the Confidential Information; or
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e. Information that the Contractor rightfully obtains from a third
party who has the right to transfer or disclose it.