Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement Chile (Acuerdo de Confidencialidad Mutuo)

A Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement Chile (Acuerdo de Confidencialidad Mutuo — MNDA) is a legally binding bilateral contract governed by Article 1545 of the Código Civil of Chile (enacted 14 December 1855) and Ley 19.628 of 28 August 1999 (Ley sobre Protección de la Vida Privada, substantially reformed by Ley 21.719 of 2024 creating the Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales), through which two parties mutually agree to protect confidential information that each will share with the other during a business relationship, negotiation, or commercial collaboration. Under Article 1545 of the Código Civil, every lawfully executed contract constitutes a ley para los contratantes — a law for the contracting parties — meaning both parties' mutual confidentiality commitments carry the same binding force as statutory obligations under Chilean law.

The Acuerdo de Confidencialidad Mutuo (MNDA) differs fundamentally from a unilateral NDA (Acuerdo de Confidencialidad) in that both parties simultaneously occupy the roles of disclosing party (parte divulgante) and receiving party (parte receptora). This bilateral structure arises when both parties will share sensitive information with each other — in joint venture negotiations under Article 1545, technology exchange partnerships, merger and acquisition due diligence where both sides disclose financial and operational data, commercial co-development arrangements, and strategic alliance negotiations where each party reveals proprietary business strategies, financial data, customer information, and trade secrets protected under Ley 19.039 of 25 January 1991 (Ley de Propiedad Industrial, amended by Ley 21.355 of 2021).

The legal framework supporting MNDAs in Chile draws from multiple statutory sources. Article 1545 of the Código Civil establishes the binding contractual foundation. Article 1546 of the Código Civil imposes the principle of good faith (buena fe) in contractual performance, requiring both parties to execute their mutual confidentiality obligations according to the nature of the commercial relationship and customary business practice — not merely according to the literal terms of the agreement. Ley 19.039 Articles 86–92 define trade secrets (secretos empresariales) and create civil and criminal remedies for unauthorized disclosure: Article 284 of the Código Penal establishes criminal liability for industrial espionage and trade secret misappropriation, with the Fiscalía Nacional authorized to prosecute independently of civil proceedings.

Ley 19.628 of 1999 (reformed by Ley 21.719 of 2024, which created the Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales — AIDP — with enforcement powers effective from 2026) imposes specific obligations on both parties when the information exchanged under an MNDA includes datos personales (personal data) as defined in Article 2 of Ley 19.628. The reformed Ley 21.719 introduces data processing principles of purpose limitation (licitud del tratamiento), data minimization (proporcionalidad), accuracy (exactitud), and security (seguridad) that both MNDA parties must observe when handling any personal data accessed during their mutual information exchange. The Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales will have authority to impose administrative sanctions of up to 5,000 UTM (approximately CLP 330 million in 2025) for serious violations of Ley 21.719.

The Corte Suprema de Justicia, through its Civil Chamber (Sala Civil), has upheld bilateral NDA enforceability under Article 1545 when the agreement identifies the confidential information with reasonable specificity, applies proportionate restrictions on both parties, and establishes an objective definition of confidentiality that does not create an indefinite restraint of trade contrary to Article 19 No. 21 of the Constitución Política de 1980 (which protects the right to engage in any economic activity). The Instituto Nacional de Propiedad Industrial (INAPI) administers industrial property registrations — while trade secret protection under Ley 19.039 does not require registration, both MNDA parties should document the measures they have taken to maintain the secrecy of their respective confidential information, as these measures are a statutory prerequisite for trade secret protection under Article 86 of Ley 19.039.

The enforcement mechanisms available for MNDA breaches in Chile are robust and multi-layered. Civil remedies include compensatory damages (dano emergente and lucro cesante) under Codigo Civil Article 1556, penalty clause enforcement under Articles 1535-1544, and injunctive relief (medidas precautorias) under Codigo de Procedimiento Civil Articles 290-302, allowing courts to prohibit ongoing disclosures and seize copies of confidential materials. Criminal remedies are available when the disclosed information constitutes a trade secret under Ley 19.039: Article 284 of the Codigo Penal establishes industrial espionage as a criminal offense with the Fiscalia Nacional authorized to prosecute. The Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia (TDLC) established under Ley 19.911 may also intervene where MNDA breaches involve anti-competitive information sharing between competitors.

For MNDA parties that are publicly listed companies regulated by the CMF under Ley 18.045, additional obligations apply. Material facts (hechos esenciales) about the mutual business exploration — such as a potential merger, acquisition, or significant partnership — may require market disclosure under Article 9 of Ley 18.045 once the information becomes material, notwithstanding the MNDA's confidentiality provisions. CMF Circular No. 660 provides guidance on materiality thresholds for hecho esencial disclosures. The interplay between MNDA confidentiality and CMF disclosure obligations requires careful legal analysis before either party makes any public statement about the mutual engagement.

A Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement Chile is needed whenever two parties in Chile plan to share confidential information with each other simultaneously — where both sides have proprietary information to protect and both will receive the other's sensitive disclosures. Article 1545 of the Código Civil and Ley 19.628 together establish the contractual and regulatory necessity for a well-structured bilateral confidentiality agreement before any mutual disclosure begins.

Joint venture negotiations represent the most significant context for Chilean MNDAs. When two companies explore a joint venture (empresa conjunta) under the Código Civil Article 1545 framework — whether for lithium mining exploration in the Atacama region under the Código de Minería (Ley 18.248 of 1983), renewable energy co-development under the Ley General de Servicios Eléctricos (DFL No. 4/2006), or software platform collaboration — both parties need to share their business plans, financial projections, client databases, and technical specifications before committing to the venture. An MNDA executed before mutual disclosures protects both parties simultaneously and establishes symmetric obligations.

Merger and acquisition due diligence in Chile generates substantial MNDA use. When two Sociedades Anónimas Abiertas regulated by the CMF under Ley 18.046 explore a merger — which must be disclosed to the market as a hecho esencial under Ley 18.045 Article 9 — both the acquirer and the target must share sensitive financial, operational, and strategic information during the negotiation phase. An MNDA protects both parties before the transaction is announced, with provisions for automatic termination upon completion or abandonment of the transaction and return or destruction of all disclosed materials.

Strategic partnership negotiations in Chile's technology sector — fintech, agritech, mining technology, and health technology — routinely require MNDAs when two companies with complementary products or services explore distribution partnerships, technology licensing arrangements, or white-label agreements. Both parties typically disclose technical architectures, customer databases, pricing strategies, and partnership proposals — all of which require bilateral confidentiality protection.

Research and development collaborations between Chilean universities — Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María — and private companies require MNDAs before sharing proprietary research data, experimental results, patentable discoveries, and commercial development plans. The Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO) administers innovation funding programs (programas de innovación) that frequently require MNDAs as a condition of co-funded research agreements.

Franchise exploration discussions between a franchisor and prospective franchisees require MNDAs before the franchisor discloses proprietary systems, brand standards, financial performance representations, and operational manuals — while the prospective franchisee shares their own financial capacity, market knowledge, and business plans. The MNDA protects both parties during the exploratory phase before a formal Franchise Agreement (Contrato de Franquicia) is executed.

Supply chain partnerships in Chile's agro-industrial sector — involving wine producers in the Valle de Colchagua and Valle del Maipo, salmon producers in the Los Lagos and Aysen regions supervised by SERNAPESCA, and fruit exporters coordinating with retail chains — require MNDAs when exploring shared logistics, co-branding, or export coordination arrangements. Both parties share proprietary production volumes, pricing terms, and logistics networks requiring bilateral protection under Article 1545 of the Codigo Civil.

Real estate development joint ventures in Chile — particularly those involving Fondo de Inversion Inmobiliario (FII) structures supervised by the CMF under Ley 18.815 of 1989, or residential development under the Ley de Urbanismo y Construcciones (DFL No. 458 of 1975) — require MNDAs before the parties share financial feasibility studies, land acquisition strategies, and pre-sales data. Technology licensing arrangements between Chilean companies and foreign IP holders — covering pharmaceutical patents, agricultural biotechnology, and software licenses regulated by Ley 19.039 — frequently use MNDA structures to protect the technical specifications and pricing terms disclosed during negotiation, before a formal license agreement is executed before a Notario Publico.

A valid Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement Chile under Código Civil Article 1545 and Ley 19.628 must contain the following critical elements to create enforceable bilateral confidentiality obligations and provide adequate protection for both parties.

Party Identification: Complete legal identification of both parties — Party A and Party B — including full name, RUT (Rol Único Tributario assigned by the SII), cédula de identidad (for natural persons, issued by the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación), registered domicile, and legal representative details. For Sociedades Anónimas (SA) under Ley 18.046, Sociedades por Acciones (SpA) under Articles 424–446 of the Código de Comercio, or Sociedades de Responsabilidad Limitada (SRL) under Ley 3.918 of 1923, the company name, RUT, Registro de Comercio inscription number, and the legal representative's power of attorney (mandato) under Código Civil Articles 2116–2173 must be documented.

Bilateral Purpose of Disclosure: A precise description of the mutual business purpose — the reason both parties are exchanging confidential information. Chilean courts interpreting Article 1546 (good faith principle) have required that the purpose be specific enough to define the scope of the permitted use of disclosed information. Generic descriptions like "to explore a possible business relationship" should be supplemented with specific details about the contemplated transaction, partnership, or collaboration.

Symmetric Definition of Confidential Information: A clear definition covering both parties' confidential information simultaneously — trade secrets protected under Ley 19.039 Articles 86–92, financial data, client databases, technical specifications, business strategies, pricing information, software code, manufacturing processes, and personnel information. The definition must specify whether oral disclosures are covered (and if so, the mechanism for subsequent written confirmation within a specified period), and must enumerate the categories excluded from the confidentiality obligation — publicly available information, independently developed information, and legally required disclosures.

Mutual and Symmetric Obligations: Both parties' obligations must be expressed with equal force and identical standards — the MNDA must explicitly state that each party, in its capacity as receiving party (parte receptora) of the other's confidential information, assumes identical obligations: to maintain strict confidentiality, not to disclose to third parties without prior written consent, to use the information solely for the stated purpose, to implement reasonable security measures, and to return or destroy all confidential materials upon termination. Article 1547 of the Código Civil sets the minimum standard of care at culpa leve for each party's handling of the other's information.

Permitted Disclosures: Both parties' carved-out exceptions must be symmetric — disclosures required by Chilean law including orders from the SII under the Código Tributario, the CMF under Ley 18.045, or judicial orders from competent courts; disclosures to professional advisors (abogados, contadores) bound by their own professional confidentiality obligations; and disclosures authorized in advance and in writing by the other party.

Data Protection — Ley 19.628 and Ley 21.719: Where the mutual information exchange includes personal data (datos personales) as defined in Article 2 of Ley 19.628 — customer names, employee records, contact information — the MNDA must incorporate data processing obligations under Ley 21.719 of 2024. Both parties must commit to processing personal data only for the stated purpose, implementing appropriate security measures, and respecting the rights of data subjects (titulares) under Articles 4 and 5 of Ley 19.628 — access, correction, cancellation, and objection rights. The Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales (AIDP) established by Ley 21.719 will supervise compliance with these obligations from 2026.

Duration and Post-Termination Survival: The term during which confidentiality obligations remain in effect. Chilean commercial practice for MNDAs typically sets terms of two to five years from the last mutual disclosure, with trade secret protections surviving until the information loses its secret character under Ley 19.039. The MNDA should specify obligations upon termination: each party's duty to return or certifiably destroy the other's confidential materials, confirm destruction in writing, and delete digital copies from all storage systems within a specified period.

Penalty Clause: A cláusula penal under Código Civil Articles 1535–1544 applicable equally to both parties for breach of their respective confidentiality obligations. The penalty should be denominated in Unidades de Fomento (UF, updated daily by the SII) to preserve real value over the multi-year term. Both parties should agree whether the penalty is an exclusive remedy or whether it operates as a floor on recoverable damages — under Article 1543 of the Código Civil, the creditor may normally claim either the penalty or actual damages but not both, unless the MNDA expressly allows both.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution: Statement that the agreement is governed by Chilean law — Código Civil, Código de Comercio, Ley 19.039, and Ley 19.628/21.719 — with disputes before the Juzgados de Letras of a specified city or before arbitrators under Ley 19.971 of 2004 (Ley de Arbitraje Comercial Internacional) for international parties.

Forms-legal.com provides this Mutual NDA Chile template as a starting reference for structuring bilateral confidentiality protections under Chilean law. Every MNDA should be reviewed by a licensed Abogado admitted to the Colegio de Abogados de Chile to ensure compliance with Ley 19.039 trade secret provisions, Ley 21.719 data protection requirements, and the specific commercial context of the mutual relationship. Los usuarios de forms-legal.com pueden descargar este documento de forma gratuita en formato PDF o DOCX, completar los campos del formulario guiado y obtener un documento listo para firma.