However, if I (through legal means) learn one of your secrets and just go ahead and publish it, that's usually perfectly legal. For that matter, if you find out I know something and offer me a quid-pro-quo for signing an NDA and not revealing it, that's probably legal as well. IANAL.
> For that matter, if you find out I know something and offer me a quid-pro-quo for signing an NDA and not revealing it, that's probably legal as well.
This is correct. As long as the quid pro quo isn't illegal or coerced.
"I won't tell your secret and you won't tell mine." - Okay
"I won't tell your secret and you'll pay me a reasonable sum of money." - Okay
"You won't tell my secret and you won't get murdered." - Not Okay (Coercion)
"I won't tell your secret and you'll help me commit this crime." - Not Okay (Illegal)
Sometimes. But most of the time it's a non-disclosure agreement, a settlement agreement, or any number of other perfectly legal agreements between two parties.
Most of the time the illegality comes in if there’s some secret involving criminal activity. “Pay me $100K or I spill the beans about how you’re embezzling.”
