One does not start this way....
Just 'sayin.
Also, to Theis point... an NDA will only keep them from sharing or disclosing information.
And if you have some kind of design or utility idea... there is no real patentable IP there. So unless you have actual patentable technology or intellectual property that will make a scope perform better or represent a new level of art in scope function, manufacture, etc., an NDA is not going to matter.
If all you want to do is say "Your scope should track this way... or knobs should be this way... or reticle should be clearer..." then that's not anything you can patent or protect anyway.
If you have something like a new way of securing an erector... a new optical design... a new coating... a new mounting methodology, then you have patentable intellectual property. Then you need to patent (Expensive and hard to defend). Or disclose/publish (which means you share the idea and so noone ELSE can patent it and then keep you from making it.) But in firearms world, it is VERY hard to A. Make money off a patent that will cost you $100K to file... and B. Defend it. Which if you fail to do, you basically throw your design into public domain. And don't forget to file foreign patents. And that the Chinese will ignore them. And the French. So unless you have something that will make zillions (scope improvements won't), your intellectual property may be cool... but it's not patent-worthy. So disclose it and block anyone else from filing a patent because you have prior art.
An NDA will keep them from saying "I have a deal pending with Garvey." Or "we are going to do due diligence on Garvey to buy his ideas and don't want anyone to know we are talking to him... " That is NDA territory. But you are talking about patent protection. And an NDA ain't going to do squat about that.
And I am not a patent attorney, but played one on TV.
Sirhr
