NDA.

[chrischance]

I am in e-mail correspondence with a Hong Kong prodco and they have asked for my script in pdf. Also, they said they will sign a NDA for me.
What is an NDA? Is it something I can download and send with the pdf?
My script is registered, so my copyright is official.
Chris.

[Bergerac]

I am in e-mail correspondence with a Hong Kong prodco and they have asked for my script in pdf. Also, they said they will sign a NDA for me.
What is an NDA? Is it something I can download and send with the pdf?
My script is registered, so my copyright is official.
Chris.

I suspect an NDA, in this case, is a Non-Disclosure Agreement, meaning that they won't reveal the contents (characters/storyline) of your script or let others read it. You can search for templates online and adapt them for your needs if they don't have one they use.

[nmstevens]

I am in e-mail correspondence with a Hong Kong prodco and they have asked for my script in pdf. Also, they said they will sign a NDA for me.
What is an NDA? Is it something I can download and send with the pdf?
My script is registered, so my copyright is official.
Chris.

If they agree to sign something, like a non-disclosure agreement, it's always better if they provide it to you -- so you should probably e-mail then and ask them to fax or e-mail you their approved version of the NDA and ask them how they want you to return it to them.

I know there's a tendency to want to be very accommodating -- surely I can find one on-line somewhere and save them the trouble -- but legally, if you ever get into a tussle over a contract, you will have an advantage if the *other side* drew up the contract (and it amounts to the same thing if the "side" in question merely provided the contract.

If there's anything in a legal document that is ambiguous -- that might be interpreted to the benefit of one side or the other, the legal maxim if it comes before a court is that such ambiguities will always be decided in favor of the side that *didn't* draw up the contract.

The reasoning goes that the side that draws up the contract always has the ability to remove such ambiguity if wants to -- to make those points in question crystal clear when they're pointing things down on paper.

They can't be vague on paper and then get rewarded by claiming that something that could have read either to their advantage or to the other guy's advantage *really* means something to their advantage in a court of law -- when *they* had the means to be crystal clear when they drew up the contract.

So if, by chance, such vagueness happens to be present in a legal document, even if unintended, it will be held against you, if the document comes from your side.

So if it's at all possible, let them send you the document.

[chrischance]

Many thanks for this info. I have now found templates etc,. but I will ask them to send their NDA.
Chris.