NDA and intellectual property: how to protect your design in manufacturing

Short note

This is not legal advice. It’s a practical best-practices guide. For contracts and clauses, consult your legal adviser.

What you typically want to protect

• Designs (CAD, renders, drawings, prototypes)
• Brands and naming
• Technical specifications
• Bills of materials and supplier lists
• Costs and pricing structure

Best practices before you start

1. NDA: agree confidentiality before sharing CAD/drawings.
2. Version traceability: define who can change files and how approvals work.
3. Least privilege: share only what’s needed (by phase).
4. Define tooling ownership (if applicable): what happens to moulds/jigs when the project ends.
5. Define image usage: whether the supplier can show pieces (often: no).

What your file exchange should include

• Clear identifiers (SKU, version, date)
• Technical notes (tolerances, critical zones, finish)
• Change history (simple changelog)

How to avoid “telephone game” errors

• One owner on each side
• A single decision channel
• Approval milestones: prototype, golden sample, pre-series