—By Ramya Sriram, digital content manager at Kolabtree , the freelance platform for scientists— Working with freelancers or remote workers is becoming an increasingly popular trend among companies of all sizes. It offers a wealth of benefits: save costs, access a global network pool, get work done quickly. However, one of the major concerns that organisations have while working with freelancers/remote teams is around trust and safety. How can I be confident of sharing sensitive data with someone I’ve never met, who is not integrated into my company as a full-time employee? How can I make sure my information stays confidential, safe and secure? Trust plays a key role in all working relationships. While hiring a freelancer, it’s important that you’re aware of steps you can take to make sure the experience is built on mutual trust for a successful experience. Here are some tips to help you protect your IP and collaborate with freelancers with full confidence. Get Legal Protection for Protectable Assets Protecting your ideas, products or other aspects of your business by means of copyrights, trademarks and patents is one of the first things to keep in mind when you’re ready with a new business. You can apply for a patent, register a design, register a trademark. Get to know the laws in the countries you’re in and/or are selling in. In some countries, you may need to actively apply for copyright protection (such as India), while in others, you might have copyright protection by default (such as the UK). If you’re working as an academic or researcher, it is important to familiarise yourself with IP policies and whether you have any safeguards in place in case you choose to disclose details in published work before you apply for a patent. Sign Custom Agreements or NDAs For added protection, you can share custom agreements to include any custom terms your organisations might require freelancers to adhere to. You can also easily share Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) that legally bind the freelancer to maintain confidentiality about anything work, ideas, material or knowledge that you share. You can share NDAs before disclosing your project details on platforms like Kolabtree, after which you can go ahead and discuss the scope of work. More from Guides Top 10 Penetration Testing Companies in the UK and US Sell iPhone 8 in 2020 Before Christmas Offers Start Mistakes to Avoid in Online Business Revealed – TechRound’s Top 8 Fashion Styling Apps of 2020 How to Create a Downloadable App Hiring for Tech Startups: What Should You Consider? Common Macbook Problems and How to Solve Them Heart of the Baltic Tech – 10 Latvian Startups to Watch Categorise Your Projects by Risk Level The level of risk varies based on the project, the industry and the kind of work you’re looking to get done. For example, sharing information about a food product recipe might have a lower risk level as compared to sharing data with personally identifiable information. Understanding the risks upfront can help […]
