Hundreds of Exclusive Sessions – Please Remember Your NDA

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The 2012 MVP Global Summit is almost here and in a very short time you will be able to experience this exclusive event.  This year there will be over 800 technical side sessions, a variety of networking opportunities for MVPs to connect with other MVPs, build relationships with Microsoft product managers, and provide feedback on Microsoft products and technologies.

To that extent with such a large quantity of technical sessions and opportunities to engage with Microsoft product groups and executives, there will be a  significant amount of highly sensitive and confidential information shared at the MVP Global Summit. We wanted to take this opportunity remind everyone that, just as in previous years, the content presented at the 2012 MVP Global Summit event is under NDA.  Only MVPs and RDs who have accepted the MVP NDA will be able to attend.  Everything you hear and see during any of your events such as titles, code names or any of the content at the breakout sessions and side sessions, is all Microsoft Confidential and under your NDA.  Only MVPs and RDs who have accepted the MVP NDA are able to attend.  It’s very important to remember that if any confidential information is leaked it will not only be damaging to Microsoft, but also the MVP community.  When MVPs release Microsoft Confidential information into the general public it breaks trust and severely damages the relationship with Microsoft Product Groups for all MVPs!

As a friendly reminder, you’ll see the Summit NDA Policy displayed in various places throughout the event:

Reminder – All Summit Content is Microsoft Confidential

All MVP Global Summit content shared with you throughout the event is Microsoft confidential and provided under your MVP Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). You may NOT share MVP Summit content from any of the event Breakout Sessions or Side Sessions unless you receive direct permission from the session presenter.

  • DO NOT take photos or videos of sessions or the presentation material
  • DO NOT share session content with anyone, including other MVPs, in any format including: blogging, tweeting, posting, distributing through other social media channels or speaking with others.

Not sure if something is confidential? Before you share the information, check directly with the session presenter or ask your assigned Community Program Manager for guidance.

So, what does it really mean to uphold your NDA at Summit?  The NDA agreement has the same meaning year-round as it does during Summit.  With over 1,000 MVPs planning to attend this exclusive event, please consider these important reminders about the NDA:

  • The NDA is a legal agreement that states you will not disclose Microsoft confidential information that you receive from Microsoft to anyone, in any format, unless you have explicit authorization from Microsoft or until it is publicly released by Microsoft.
  • Each NDA is a separate agreement that covers only you, as an individual.
  • MVP-to-MVP NDA sharing is not authorized unless in a Microsoft-hosted NDA discussion or with explicit Microsoft permission.
  • The MVP NDA does not cover your employer or company.
  • Individuals or companies holding the same or different Microsoft NDAs are not authorized to share information with each other.
  • “Under Embargo” means the information received from Microsoft is under NDA until the exact date and time provided with the information; be aware of time zone differences.
  • Do not participate in any discussions of publicly-leaked information if you have also received the same information under NDA, as the information remains under NDA until Microsoft makes it publicly available.
  • Do not use NDA information to correct publicly-leaked information.
  • Contact your MVP Lead if you are unsure how to properly handle any NDA information or to confirm if the information you want to share has been made publicly available by Microsoft.

Almost all NDA violations occur unintentionally, through accidental blogging, tweeting, or sharing of confidential information with others.  Some NDA violations occur through file sharing or setting permissions incorrectly to online sky drives. To help keep everyone vigilant, we’ve placed reminders throughout Summit.  You’ll see the Summit NDA Policy displayed at the beginning of each Keynote, Breakout, and Side Session.  And, our Product Group attendees will be wearing these stickers.

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Still wondering what the MVP NDA is all about? Check out this NDA Jumpstart video which provides more detail.

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Thanks for your commitment to uphold your NDA during Summit and all year long. Remember, if you have any doubts about the confidentiality of information that you have received from Microsoft, check with your MVP Lead before sharing it with anyone.

See you at the Summit!

Authored by: Kerry Herger
MVP Global Program Manager
Community & Online Support