Signing A Non-disclosure Agreement With A Patent Attorney

Actually, one doesn't need the patent attorney to sign the non disclosure agreement once they are hired for the purpose of patenting. The patent attorney is responsible for taking care of all the fair duties to the client and signing a non disclosure agreement would violate a number of such duties. But various lawyers obtain money from the inventors in order to sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA). Once this is followed, the inventors ask different questions regarding the process of patenting of their invention or innovation from the patent attorney. These types of agreements are beneficial to the inventors however the patent attorney acts as a signing authority and has to pay for this process. Therefore, considering the ethical rights this practice has been excluded. If the non disclosure agreement (NDA) is being decided and signed in any case, it is advised for both the patent attorney and the inventor to consult a counsel for the same. However, it might be a little irregular as the patent attorney representing the client would need to seek advice from his/her attorney for signing the non disclosure agreement. This is the reason why most of the patent attorneys and inventors do not opt for such a process while devising the patenting plan for the invention.

Since a patent attorney is liable to provide and ensure confidentiality which is obligated by the state law, they cannot sign the non disclosure agreement (NDA) prior to disclosing of the idea of invention by the inventor. In order to ensure the confidentiality of the inventor's invention and information various federal rules have been imposed by the law onto the patent attorney. In such scenarios an inventor gets confused as in how to get a non disclosure agreement (NDA) signed without disclosing his/her original idea to the lawyer. What best could be done here is that inventor gets the non disclosure agreement (NDA) drafted by a lawyer first and then submit it to the patent attorney for signature and then get started with the client-attorney involvement.

Since, this involves a good amount of money spent by the inventor, the process could result into various issues. Incongruity should always be taken care of by the patent attorney while devising the current representation of the inventor to that of the past clients. This can also create some issues for the patent attorney until the patent attorney is well versed with the client needs and requirements. In order to ensure that the patenting process as well as the signing of the non disclosure agreement (NDA) does not result into various concerns the inventors should disclose some elementary information regarding the innovation with the patent attorney, which might not include all the necessary information but definitely gives the patent attorney a basic idea about the invention. Inventors can rely upon patent attorneys in such situations as they do not use such innovative ideas illegally as this does not correspond to their profession or business.