OEM/ODM Manufacturing
NDA and IP Protection When Working with a Chinese OEM Manufacturer
What a standard manufacturing NDA actually covers, and where buyers should look for additional protection on proprietary specs.
Published 2026-02-18 · OEM/ODM Manufacturing
What a Standard NDA Covers
A manufacturing NDA typically protects the specification details you share — dimensions, BOM, firmware requirements — from disclosure to third parties, and should be signed before any proprietary spec review begins.
Where NDAs Fall Short
An NDA alone doesn’t prevent a factory from using generally similar design knowledge on a future unrelated project — buyers with highly proprietary mechanisms should also discuss mold ownership and exclusivity terms explicitly, not assume the NDA covers everything.
Have a Related Project in Mind?
Talk to our team about your specification and timeline.