Quote:
Originally Posted by astrangerhere
As to the NDAs, I would be interested to know if they actually have an NDA just to cover the contract negotiations. I know what sort of things happen here in terms of evidentiary law, but I am simply curious to know how Amazon treats these sorts of meetings. I wonder if signing an NDA is part of your ticket to even to get to the table. Do parties even have a choice?
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Traditionally, in the tech industry NDAs with teeth are a prerequisute to pretty much any serious discussion between companies. No NDA, no meeting. The potential for insider trading is too high. Just a rumor can move markets...
(Imagine if somebody saw a high level B&N delegation walking into Apple HQ today. That kind of sighting alone can make the witness some serious cash.)
An NDA figures prominently in the rise of Microsoft as an OS company, back when IBM was secretly developing the original PC. Bill Gates, the son of a bank exec, was handed the NDA and saw he would be sued out of vital organs if he even hinted at anything while IBM was not liable for anything he showed then. He smiled and signed and got a deal to provide BASIC for the PC, a deal that led to further business when Digital Research refused to sign until flying the NDA past their lawyers. IBM was in a hurry and MS knew where to get an OS and the rest is history.