Strengthen your NDAs and contracts
Link NDAs, licenses, and other contracts to certified versions of your files. Everyone knows exactly what's covered - without putting secrets in the contract.
Give your agreements a verifiable reference
When an agreement covers confidential information or proprietary technology, broad descriptions leave room for doubt about what's included - especially as projects evolve.
Certify a collection of files and put its certificate ID in your NDA, license, employment contract, or technology transfer agreement. Both sides get an identifiable, verifiable reference to the material covered, and the sensitive content stays out of the contract.
Certify new versions as work develops. Your agreement can cover them through amendments, or through a clause covering later certified versions, linked to the original in the same Bernstein project. Encrypted, versioned storage keeps the files, and Secure Sharing lets you share them right inside Bernstein.
The NDA enforcement problem
An NDA can feel reassuring when it is signed - and difficult to rely on when something goes wrong. Clear obligations matter, but so does a reliable record of the information they cover.
Unclear scope
Broad descriptions can leave the parties disagreeing over which information the NDA covers.
Incomplete disclosure records
Without a reliable record of the material shared, it can be hard to show which version a recipient received.
Evolving information
As projects develop, new files and versions need to stay identifiable within the agreement's scope.
The Bernstein solution
Define the material covered
Certify your files and reference the Bernstein certificate ID in your agreement, giving both parties a clear, verifiable reference for the assets covered.
Certify and share securely
Certify before disclosure, then use Secure Sharing to give encrypted access. Keep the sharing records alongside the certified versions.
Keep pace with changes
Certify new versions as your project evolves. Keep them in scope through amendments, or an agreed clause covering later versions linked to the original in the same project.
Strengthen your evidence
If a dispute arises, use certified files and their version history alongside your agreement and disclosure records to support your position.
Put certified evidence to work in your contracts
Confidentiality agreements and NDAs
Identify the confidential material your agreement covers through references to certified files. Share it securely and keep a record of the versions disclosed to each recipient.
Technology licensing and transfer
Reference certified collections of technical documentation, software, designs, and know-how to identify the assets being licensed or transferred. Define how later versions relate to the agreement.
Employment and severance agreements
Build a certified record of the confidential material entrusted to employees throughout their employment. Reference the relevant certified versions in employment and severance agreements to give continuing confidentiality obligations a clear scope, without reproducing sensitive content in the paperwork.
Read more: make employee NDAs more robust with a verifiable record of confidential knowledge
In Lasership, Inc. v. Watson (2009), the court found the confidentiality restriction was "not narrowly tailored to protect the legitimate business interests" of the employer.
— Foley & Lardner LLP,How Weak Are Employee "Nondisclosure Agreements"?
Benefits of using Bernstein in contracts
Cover any file format
Identify source code, datasets, designs, audio, video, and other assets through certified references - even when their contents are hard to describe in words.
Keep sensitive content private
Reference certified collections without reproducing confidential details in contracts. The files stay in encrypted storage.
Certify and share in one place
Use Secure Sharing to give encrypted access and require acceptance of your confidentiality terms. Keep a record of the certified material and the conditions accepted.
Keep every version
Each certified version stays available for independent validation. Tie your agreement to specific versions, or agree how later versions are covered.
Common scenarios
How it works
Certify the material
Collect the files your agreement will cover and certify them in Bernstein.
Reference it in your agreement
Identify the certified collection by its Bernstein certificate ID and define the obligations attached to it.
Share securely
Use Secure Sharing to give encrypted access under the agreed conditions. Keep the disclosure and acceptance records.
Keep the scope current
Certify new versions as work develops. Cover them through amendments, or a clause covering later versions linked to the original in the same project.