Confidentiality Clause in Singapore

Confidentiality in Singapore

Singapore does not have a general legal framework for confidentiality. The only legislations containing references to confidentiality are the Singapore Intellectual Property Law and the Personal Data Protection Act which refer to copyrights, respectively to the protection of confidential information on patients with respect to the medical act. For commercial purposes, Singapore companies usually conclude confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements. These types of agreements are also used in arbitration procedures in Singapore.

Our lawyers in Singapore can help you draft confidentiality agreements.

The contents of confidentiality agreements in Singapore

 More and more companies in Singapore include confidentiality clauses or draft non-disclosure agreements in order to protect their trade secrets. These types of agreements are also used by IT companies in order to protect their rights over the software or other programs they create. Most of the times, confidentiality agreements are signed by the Singapore company’s managers who have access to confidential information. Non-disclosure agreements in Singapore are usually drafted to limit the access to confidential information, to define confidential information and in what circumstances one can divulge sensitive knowledge about the company. Confidentiality agreements are usually concluded for a limited period of time, but their validity can extend over their duration.

Confidentiality clauses in employment contracts in Singapore

It is also a common practice to introduce confidentiality clauses in employment contracts in Singapore. Many employees are required to either sign non-disclosure agreements, or conclude employment contracts containing confidentiality clauses. In case an employment contract contains confidentiality clauses, they will be enforced after the employee leaves the Singapore company in order to protect the company’s interests once the workers’ obligations towards the business have stopped. The confidential information these types of non-disclosure clauses refer to could be of commercial nature, technology, know-how, industrial or marketing techniques.

For additional information about the legal implications of signing confidentiality agreements you can contact our law firm in Singapore.