Design Confidentiality
for
Custom Shower Hardware
A proposed framework for OEM and ODM projects
Version 0.9.1 • 30 October 2026
Document status
Proposed policy for internal review. The procedures below have not been verified as current LOIRE practices. They are intended for adoption and confirmation before this paper is published or shared as an operating commitment. Signed project agreements will govern each engagement.
Why design confidentiality matters
A custom shower hinge can reveal more than its shape. Its drawings may contain a new motion system, glass cutout, tolerance, finish requirement or brand feature. Samples, tooling and packaging may reveal a launch before the product reaches the market.
Buyers need to know how this information will move from the first inquiry to production, and what will happen when the project ends. This paper sets out a proposed process that makes those decisions visible and reviewable.
Designed for LOIRE projects
This framework is for importers, distributors, glass companies, shower enclosure brands and project buyers developing custom parts or private label products with LOIRE.
Five proposed commitments
Reading guide • Intake and scope 2 • Digital files 3 • Production 4 • Rights and publicity 5 • Closeout and evidence 6 • Buyer questions and sources 7
Agree before sharing sensitive files
Start with a limited brief
The first inquiry should contain only what is needed to discuss fit: the product category, target use, estimated quantity, market and broad material or finish needs. Buyers should hold back unpublished CAD files and unique internal mechanisms until the confidentiality arrangement and transfer channel are confirmed.
Before detailed review, the proposed process will identify the buyer, the contracting LOIRE entity, the relevant factory and any other recipient. A written non disclosure agreement, or equivalent project terms, will define the allowed purpose, covered information, authorized disclosures, duration and closeout duties.
What the project may need to protect
Information | Examples in shower hardware |
Design and engineering | 2D drawings, CAD models, dimensions, glass cutouts, tolerances, parts lists and test requirements. |
Physical items | Samples, prototypes, molds, fixtures, finish samples and rejected or surplus custom parts. |
Brand and business data | Logos, packaging artwork, buyer identity, prices, forecasts, launch dates and distribution plans. |
Project outputs | Design review notes, revised drawings, sample reports, project photos and newly developed solutions. |
Define the boundaries
The agreement will state how files, spoken information and physical samples are identified as confidential. If the status of a file is unclear, the project team will seek clarification before further use or disclosure. Buyers should disclose only information they are entitled to share.
The parties will also agree on exclusions, such as information already public, lawfully received from another source or independently developed without the protected material. Any required disclosure to an authority will follow the contract and applicable law, including notice where permitted.
Record the handoff
Each approved transfer will have a project code, sender, recipient, date and file or sample list. The project lead will confirm receipt, the current revision and the next permitted step. Receiving a file will not by itself authorize production, onward sharing or marketing use.
The intake record should answer four questions: who sent it, who may use it, for what purpose, and under which agreement. A separate decision will record approval to begin sample development.
Control digital files and design changes
Use access based on the task
A named project lead will maintain the recipient list. Sales will receive what is needed to manage the order; engineering will receive the technical details needed for review; production and quality teams will receive the approved instructions needed for their work. Access will be removed when the task or role ends.
The proposed setup will use company managed accounts, restricted project storage and a defined transfer channel. Before promising these controls to a buyer, LOIRE will confirm the actual system, account permissions, access records and available security settings. Sensitive project files will not be placed in public folders or shared through uncontrolled personal accounts.
Keep one approved production revision
Each drawing and specification will carry a project code and revision. Engineering comments will be kept separate from the approved production release. Changes to geometry, material, finish, branding or packaging will require the agreed buyer approval before release.
The release record will show what changed, who approved it and which version is valid. Earlier versions will be withdrawn from active work instructions. Sample approval will be linked to the correct drawings and specifications so that a photograph or informal chat message cannot silently replace them.
Limit copies and verify recipients
Before a transfer, staff will check the recipient and the minimum file set required. Approved services should support appropriate sign in controls, restricted links and removal of access. Any limits, such as a recipient’s ability to download and retain a copy, will be stated honestly.
Printed drawings will follow the same revision rules. They will be issued to the relevant work area, kept away from visitors and collected or retired when replaced. Project information must also be removed from visible screens and meeting materials before unrelated visits.
Treat AI and online conversion as disclosures
The proposed default is no upload of confidential designs to public AI tools, translation websites or online CAD converters. Use of an external service will require approval of its data handling terms, retention, access and model training settings, plus any buyer permission required by the contract. [A4]
Only the minimum approved data will be submitted. Customer CAD files and restricted project records will not be added to a public website, media library, llms.txt index or public Markdown page. Public access cannot be made confidential by a filename or a search crawler instruction.
Protect samples tooling and supplier handoffs
Check outside processing before disclosure
Custom hardware may require tooling, surface finishing, testing or other work by an outside provider. The proposed process will identify any such provider before sending sensitive information or items. A confidentiality obligation and the permitted scope of work will be in place first, with buyer approval where the project terms require it.
A provider will receive only what is needed for that operation. It will not be allowed to reuse the design, make extra parts for others or pass it to another provider without the required authorization. The project record will identify the recipient, files or samples sent, purpose and return or disposal requirement.
Removing a logo may not be enough. A hinge body, internal component or glass cutout can reveal the design on its own. If the work cannot be completed with limited information, the buyer and LOIRE will agree on the necessary disclosure before it happens.
Track physical items
Item | Proposed control |
Samples and prototypes | Assign a project code, record quantities and locations, log outbound transfers and agree on return or disposal. |
Molds and fixtures | Maintain a tool register with ownership terms, permitted use, storage location, condition and custody changes. |
Work in progress | Keep custom parts identifiable by project and separated from unrelated orders and public sample displays. |
Rejected and surplus parts | Record quantities and obtain the agreed disposition. Do not resell or distribute customer specific parts without written permission. |
Set tooling terms before paying for tooling
The tooling agreement will address physical title, design rights, allowed use, maintenance, replacement, storage fees if any, and what happens when the project stops. It will state whether and how the buyer can inspect, transfer, collect or require destruction of a tool.
A payment for tooling will not be treated as a complete answer to these separate questions. Any tooling used for more than one product or customer will be identified before approval, with its permitted use clearly agreed.
Control visits and photography
Visitor routes and photography will be arranged to keep unrelated customer projects out of view. Staff and visitors will need authorization before taking or sharing project images. Photos used to document a defect or sample review will stay within the approved project recipients.
Separate confidentiality ownership and publicity
Write down the rights for each project
Confidentiality controls how information is used and shared. Ownership determines who holds the rights. Exclusivity determines who may make or sell a product within an agreed scope. A project should address all three where relevant, rather than assume that one settles the others. [A3]
Subject | What the parties will agree |
Buyer supplied design | Which drawings, brands and technical information the buyer brings, and the limited use granted for the project. |
Existing LOIRE design | Which catalog designs, methods or other existing rights LOIRE brings, and what the buyer may use. |
New project development | Who owns new designs, design changes and project outputs; who may apply for protection; and what use each party retains. |
Exclusive supply | If requested, the exact product, territory, sales channel, term, conditions and limits of exclusivity. |
Physical tooling | Who owns and controls each mold or fixture, separately from rights in the product or tool design. |
Prevent unauthorized reuse
Under the proposed policy, protected customer material will be used only for the agreed project. It will not be sold, offered to another buyer, used to produce another customer’s order or added to a standard catalog without written authorization from the rights holder.
This does not turn a public catalog part into an exclusive product. If a buyer selects an existing hinge and requests a new finish or logo, the agreement will identify what remains a standard product and what is restricted to that project. Independent development and existing rights should be documented rather than assumed.
Approve each public use separately
Manufacturing permission will not be treated as permission to publish. Customer names, logos, drawings, samples, product photos, packaging and project results will need a separate written release before use in a website, showroom, trade show, sales presentation, social post or marketplace listing.
The release will specify the exact material, channels and timing. A request to use a project as a case study will remain optional. Removing the buyer’s name will not be enough if the product shape, logo placement or launch details still identify the project.
No customer relationship, patent status or security certification should be presented as proof of confidentiality unless the specific claim has current, relevant evidence and permission for use.
Project closeout and responsibilities
Agree on retention and closeout
At project setup, the parties will agree on retention periods or decision rules for drawings, samples, tools and records. At closeout, LOIRE will list what is to be returned, deleted, destroyed or retained, and record completion of the agreed actions.
If a limited copy must be retained for legal, quality or dispute purposes, its reason, access and review date will be recorded. Backup copies will follow the disclosed backup lifecycle and remain restricted. The team will not promise immediate deletion from every backup or recipient device unless that can be demonstrated.
The removal method will match the storage medium and sensitivity. Ordinary file deletion will not be described as verified media sanitization. NIST guidance is a technical reference for selecting and verifying suitable methods; it is not a certification of LOIRE. [A5]
Respond to suspected exposure
A staff member who suspects an incorrect disclosure will report it to the designated project lead and internal incident owner. The proposed response is to restrict further access, preserve evidence, identify affected material and recipients, and coordinate containment.
The buyer contact will receive the facts known at that stage, remaining uncertainties and the next update under the agreed notification terms and applicable requirements. Any fixed notification deadline must be agreed and supported by a working response process. Corrective actions and follow up will be recorded.
Make the process reviewable
Record | What it helps a buyer verify |
Agreement and recipient list | Correct entities, approved purpose and authorized access. |
Revision and approval log | Which design and sample were approved for production. |
Supplier disclosure record | What each approved outside provider received and why. |
Sample and tooling register | Location, custody, quantities and agreed ownership terms. |
Publicity and closeout records | Permission for public use and completion of end of project actions. |
Evidence can be reviewed through agreed, limited access or redacted examples. A buyer review must not expose another customer’s files. Blank templates show the intended process; completed records and observed controls are needed to show that it operates.
The proposed accountable roles are management for policy approval, the project lead for coordination, engineering for design release, purchasing for supplier disclosure, and the storage or IT owner for digital access and closeout. These roles must be assigned before publication.
Buyer questions and next steps
Can we discuss a project before signing an NDA?
Yes, using a non confidential brief. Share the product category and broad requirements first. Confirm the agreement and transfer channel before sending unpublished drawings or full CAD models.
Does an NDA give us design ownership or exclusivity?
Those rights need separate written terms. Identify existing designs, new development, tooling and any exclusive supply rights before approving the work.
Will an outside processor see our design?
That depends on the agreed production route. The project should identify required outside processing, the minimum disclosure and the approval rules before a handoff.
What happens if the project does not proceed?
The agreed closeout rules should apply to the files and samples already shared, including return, restricted retention or disposal. The agreement should state which duties continue after the project ends.
Start a confidentiality discussion
Contact LOIRE with a brief description of your product and the information you expect to share. Ask to confirm the contracting entity, confidentiality terms, approved recipients, file transfer method and ownership points before sending sensitive material.
Website
https://loirehardware.com/
Email loire@loire-hardware.com
Phone
+86 173 8862 1026
Sources and basis
Reviewed 1 October 2026. LOIRE sources establish the business context. WIPO and NIST support general principles. The project controls proposed in this paper are recommendations, not findings that LOIRE has already implemented them.
L1 LOIRE Hardware homepage — Company supplied website information.
L2 LOIRE OEM and ODM services — Customization inputs and service scope.
A2 WIPO Guide Part IV Trade Secret Management — Risk based protection and practical management measures.
A3 WIPO Guide Part VI Collaborative Innovation — Agreements and rights during collaboration.
A4 WIPO Guide Part VII Trade Secrets and Digital Objects — Risks when confidential data enters external digital services.
A5 NIST SP 800 88 Revision 2 Guidelines for Media Sanitization — Published September 2025; guidance on media sanitization.