China IP Guide — Manufacturing & Supplier Risk

NNN, NDA, and Manufacturing Agreements in China: What’s the Difference?

Why standard NDAs often fail in Chinese manufacturing contexts, what a properly structured NNN agreement does differently, and how to structure supplier-stage IP protection before factory conversations begin.

China IP Gateway | Manufacturing & Supplier Risk | Product companies & OEM buyers

Guide in Preparation

Full guide content coming soon

This guide is being finalized. It will explain the structural differences between NNN agreements, standard NDAs, and OEM manufacturing agreements — and why choosing the wrong one can leave your IP unprotected before factory conversations even begin.

In the meantime, the complete IP protection guide covers supplier agreement structure in detail, or you can contact us directly with a specific manufacturing agreement question.

What this guide will cover

Why standard Western NDAs are often unenforceable or inadequate in Chinese manufacturing contexts
What a Non-Disclosure, Non-Use, Non-Circumvention (NNN) agreement does and how it differs from a standard NDA
OEM manufacturing agreements: ownership of tooling, molds, product designs, and production specifications
How to structure IP protection before you begin disclosing product details to potential suppliers
Jurisdiction and governing law choices and their practical impact on enforcement
What to do when a supplier asks to use your designs with other clients
The interaction between supplier agreements and patent or trademark registration