Do I Need an NDA for App Development (With Template)?

Let’s be honest from the very beginning. Signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement for app development is one of the controversial issues in the mobile industry: while some say that it’s a must-do, others call it a dangerous and even harmful decision for your future business.

However, speaking more specifically, you should consider signing this legal contract with the following parties:

• Your own (in-house) team. If you have an in-house team that will be working on your project, they should be among the first to sign the NDA. As a rule of thumb, such an agreement protects not only from leaks outside but also prevents the spread of information among employees that aren’t working on this project.
• Contract developers. This is clear as day that the NDA signing with any external developers is a must-do for you. Pay attention: the non-disclosure of some project information should remain in force even after the product release.
• QA engineers (testers). Since those guys have access to the code and know some technical specifications of your application, it’s better to sign the mobile application development agreement with them as well.
• PO’s, PM’s, Designers and others who work on your product without using the code. Since they may have access to different blueprints, mindmaps, design features and other important data, they should sign an agreement too.

Question # 3: At what stage should I sign the NDA?

Some people aren’t sure when exactly they should sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement for their mobile app with people who are working on it.

The best moment is when you hire/sign the contract with a new employee.

However, it’s also possible to sign an NDA during the candidate interview stage if you’re going to reveal some confidential project details and want to keep them in secret.

Question # 4: Is there a single template?

Nope, there is no single template of the mobile application development agreement which would be generally recognized.

Usually, mobile app development companies offer their template. If the agency already has testimonials and cares about their reputation, they won’t hide any pitfalls in their template. Yet, you are free to offer your corrections and modification or even your own variant of the agreement.

You can also use the NDA template for app development by the Stormotion team. We’ll leave the link closer to the end of this article so read on!

Question # 5: What are the components of a good NDA?

Since there is no single form of the NDA, you should be careful when signing one. Why? So as not to miss something important!

Therefore, here is the table of must-have contents for you:

Actually, your trade secrets are the most valuable kind of information for your business. A good Non-Disclosure Agreement for app development may prevent the disclosure of trade secrets and, thus, protect your business from competitors.

Reason # 2: To Secure More Specific Confidential Information 🔏

Except for the trade secrets, during the mobile app development you will have to reveal a lot of other confidential information. Its’ disclosure may not lead to such catastrophic consequences as a leak of trade secrets but still can cause you much trouble.

For example, confidential information can include passwords, customer lists, blueprints, devices and hardware configurations, prototypes etc.

Having an NDA adds the chances to avoid the leak of this information as well.

Reason # 3: To Minimize the Risk of Working with External Specialists 👩‍💻

If you’re cooperating with freelancers or development agencies, the NDA for app development is a must-have.

This is especially true for freelancers who often disappear in the middle of development without any warnings and can hardly be controlled. The legal obligations may increase their responsibility and prevent such unpleasant situations in the future.

What about app development agencies? Usually, you don’t have problems with them.

First, agencies care about their reputation so they want to avoid any troubles even more than you.

Second, they may have their own business secrets that need to be protected. So don’t be surprised if they offer you to sign a mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement for app development that protects their confidential information as well.

Reason # 4: To Keep Your Project Hidden during Stealth Mode 🕴️

The Stealth Mode is a state of a company when it develops a product that is going to revolutionize the market but avoids public attention for the moment. This is often done due to marketing reasons (so as not to alert competitors and keep a “first-mover advantage”).

Therefore, the early leak of information about your product may destroy the whole strategy. And nothing helps better with keeping the information locked and safe rather than a NDA.

Reason # 5: To Protect Your Money 💵

Leaks of your trade secrets or other confidential information endanger your business. As a result, you can have your idea/project stolen and left without any funds.

So signing the Non-Disclosure mobile application development agreement is a step that you can take in advance to keep your money safe!