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I have a legal question regarding technical manuals. My company is
undergoing a merger with another company and the other company is requiring
that we fill out an employee agreement. One section of the agreement reads
as follows:
Upon termination of my employment I will return to the Company without
making any copies thereof all drawings, prints, manuals, specifications,
costing, pricing customer and supplier information or anything containing,
embodying or disclosing any concepts, discoveries, inventions (whether
patentable of not), product information, technical data, financial data,
trade secrets or confidential information relating to the Company's business
in any way (or trade secrets or confidential information of a third party
lawfully in the possession of the Company) obtained by me while employed by
the Company.
I want to strike out the word "manuals", because if I am laid off I will
need to show these in my portfolio. Do I have any legal rights to show the
manuals I've produced for the company? Help, I need some legal advice fast.
Thanks,
--Nance
Nancy L. Keller
Technical Writer
SeaMED Corporation
e-mail: nkeller -at- seamed -dot- com
voice: (425) 482-1420
fax: (425) 482-1500