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your NDA

An e-signature is the digital equivalent of a person’s handwritten signature. Since documents requiring e-signatures can be shared quickly online, the process of getting documents signed and completed is considerably shorter than with printed and mailed documents. E-signature services like Countersign can be used with most computers, tablets, and smartphones. E-signed documents can be stored digitally or printed and archived in traditional filing systems.

Templates within Countersign are documents created and owned by a requester and are intended for reuse. The requester can upload and prepare documents and save them as templates. Then, as the need arises, the requester can simply choose one of their templates and send it to the signer without having to redefine all the fields.

Yes. Countersign runs on secure infrastructure managed by Google. Your network connection is encrypted, your documents are encrypted at rest, and the Countersign service runs in physically secure data centers. Access to your documents is logged. View your audit trails at any time.

An NDA, or non-disclosure agreement, is a contract obligating a party to not disclose confidential information. NDAs are used in many business situations where sensitive information is involved.

For example, a company might have their employees or contractors sign an NDA to ensure they don’t disclose company secrets to competitors. Or two parties might be exploring a business deal together and want to ensure their discussions and anything they share about themselves remains private.

An NDA creates a legal obligation for the other party to keep your confidential information private and imposes legal consequences if they violate its terms.

NDAs contain a few common features. An NDA should clearly indicate who is obligated to keep the information confidential. The NDA should also define what exactly constitutes confidential information. For example, the NDA may specifically name what is being protected (i.e., a specific document or file) or may more broadly describe confidential information as anything proprietary to one party.

NDAs usually also contain carve-outs for things not considered confidential information. For example, information that the recipient already had is usually exempted from confidentiality obligations.

NDAs also usually have a defined term, i.e., the period of time the confidentiality obligations will remain in effect. NDAs will also outline the consequences for breaching the NDA. Oftentimes NDAs give the aggrieved party the right to pursue an injunction and damages for breach.

The length of an NDA is a negotiated point between the parties. Typically, NDAs last anywhere from a year to two years. The exact term of an NDA however is highly dependent on the particular circumstances involved and is sometimes a contentious point of negotiation.

The disclosing party will want the longest amount of time possible whereas the recipient will usually try to limit the time they are obligated to maintain confidentiality.