Russ Krajec

NDAs as Collaboration Tools

At the Ethical Collaboration Association, we believe that non-disclosure agreements are a way to build collaborative relationships. In fact, NDAs are the most basic agreement used in business. Whenever two companies begin to get serious about doing business together, they typically do an NDA as they develop trust and as they see a path forward. …

NDAs, Coworking Spaces, and Access Control

Access control to a coworking space dictates how you can implement Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) with visitors. In some cases, it may be impossible to do, which is OK, depending on the type of members you wish to attract and the culture you want to build. Do I Need To Control Access To The Coworking…

Collaboration IP Transfer Provisions

So you have a conventional NDA with someone. Each of you own your own IP. That IP is also well defined: it is anything that you brought into this relationship. But what happens with NEW IDEAS that you create under this NDA? What happens when you collaborate? Conventional NDAs are silent about what happens when…

Getting Harmed in Collaboration

The notion of someone being harmed by collaborating is something that few of us consider. If we are collaborating, there should be an air of trust, confidence, and openness that everyone shares. Even when people are working together towards a common goal, such at a Startup Weekend, Hackerfest, or some other event, we can actually…

Ethical Collaboration for Open Meetings

Ethical Collaboration sets the ground rules for open meetings. An open meeting is any meeting where we welcome anyone, including newcomers. In some cases, the new people may be experiencing your group or organization for the first time. You want to make a good impression, welcome them to the community, and set the ground rules…

When is an NDA Appropriate?

Non-Disclosure Agreements are one way that we protect intellectual property. But when are they appropriate and when not? We use NDAs in the Ethical Collaboration framework, but only in certain circumstances. We believe that NDAs function well when there is trust between the parties, and trust is something that is earned. If you are having…

Should I Sign an NDA for a Job Interview?

Some employers ask interview candidates for a non-disclosure agreement during the job interview process. Should you sign an NDA just to get a chance at a job? In general, yes, you should sign the NDA. If you get hired by the company, you will have a very strong NDA with the company. An employment agreement…

Use the Ethical NDA with your Interview Candidates

The Ethical NDA is a great tool for interview candidates. Click here to learn more about the Ethical NDA. As you are interviewing, you want to see how much the candidate can contribute to your company. You want to judge their technical and business strengths – and you want to judge their creativity. The Ethical…

Why Ethical Collaboration Is Better Than An NDA

There is a big step between having a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and Ethical Collaboration. (The Ethical Collaboration Agreement is FREE and available here.) An NDA is used any time someone wants to protect their ideas or technology. For example, I will have an NDA in place with a contract manufacturer, especially when the contract manufacturer…

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