Why NDAs Really Do Matter

A 23 year old digital artist was recently sued for contempt of court by the Soho-based VFX house Double Negative. The artist, like all VFX artists working for the company, signed an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) stating that, among other things, he would not upload confidential materials to the internet.  Unfortunately, he shared some of the footage he was working on with a friend who - apparently without his knowledge - posted the footage online.

Things got worse for him when, challenged by DNeg, the artist compounded his difficulties by lying under oath and claiming that his friend had taken the footage without his permission. This led to court proceedings in which he was lucky to avoid a custodial sentence.

The moral of the story? Studios like DNeg take the confidentiality of their clients' IP (intellectual property) very seriously. If you are lucky enough to land a job at one of the big London VFX houses, have no doubt that a signed NDA is something you mess with at your peril.

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