A former Harvey Weinstein assistant accused Parliament of being too “slow to act” on the excessive use of non -disclosure agreements (NDAS) – claiming that there was “a clear track” of their use to The root of “each scandal of mistreatment” “.
In 2017, Zelda Perkins was the first woman to break an NDA linked to Weinstein signed decades earlier, an action that helped exhibit Film producer Miramaxpredatory behavior for the world.
Since then, through her organization cannot buy my silence, she has been vocal activist to try to obtain changes in the law.
Explaining her frustrations in an interview with Sky News, she said: “Since Weinstein’s horrible behavior was exposed almost seven years ago, we saw other powerful attackers exposed on a monthly basis … A clear track of the use of NDAs at the origin of each abuse scandal.
“International law changes quickly, but the United Kingdom is slow to act, which is particularly frustrating for me because this is where the first exposure of the systemic use of NDAs to protect the powerful has been highlighted. “”
An NDA is a legally binding contract which protects confidential information between the parties. While they were designed to protect intellectual property (IP) and may have a legitimate place in the business world to protect customer confidentiality, their abusive use made the headlines this year when hundreds of women are are presented to affirm that the NDAs had been accustomed to the victims of the silence of the deceased boss of Harrods Mohamed Al Fayed.
Ms. Perkins argues that there is undeniable evidence that legal changes are necessary.
“We have the law to protect ourselves from ourselves and, if the law is poorly used as a tool for abuse, then we have a duty to change this.”
She thinks that the changes have not yet occurred because there is “a huge fear in the corridors of being able to withdraw the ability to silence people who will present your reprehensible acts”.
While Ireland, Canada and the United States have all introduced legislative changes, the United Kingdom has not prioritized the modification of its law-but could this be about to change?
The government said it intended to implement the conservative plan to prohibit the use of NDA in universities, and he understood that it plans to ban their abusive use by employers.
During a recent hearing of the restricted committee, the Minister of Workers’ Rights, Justin Madders, confirmed that the government was responsible for “more closely” if changes could be made via its bill ‘Employment – presented by number 10 as “the greatest upgrade of the rights of workers of a generation in a generation”.
In a press release, the government promised to “define its position on all the amendments … in Parliament”.
For years, Ms. Perkins has campaigned so that NDAs were used only for their objective – to protect intellectual property and trade in secrets – and argues that they should not be requested by a victim with certain provisions in an agreement of regulations.
While the experience of Ms. Perkins was in the world of the film, a certain number of leading voices of the music industry spoke to Sky News in the problematic manner in which they think that NDAs are used.
Charisse Beaumont, the director general of Black Lives in Music, says that agreements “are used to cover criminal crime to her extreme nature … exploiting music, intimidation and blackmail … It is widespread”.
She says: “You have high -level cases … cases of people who have many cases in court, many testimonies of people saying that they were mistreated by them, but they are always able to work. Some d some ‘Between them are always promoted.
“Can you imagine being a victim and looking at the person who did something to you is promoted?”
Sean “Diddy” Combs – who awaits his trial for sexual traffic and racketeering, which he denies vigorously – was at the top of his fame in the 90s.
A former clip dancer of the time told Sky News that the use of NDA in music was still widespread.
Elisabeth Ovesen said that she “would be dressed ready for a party, would go to the door, and there is an NDA before being able to intervene”.
The former star of reality Katie Waissel left the music industry to study law. She now campaigns against the use of NDAS.
“I had many conversations with former secretaries of state, the DCMS (departure for culture, the media and sport), for example, the former home secretary, alongside many other incredible people who campaign for a legislative change.
“I understand the non-disclosure agreements in terms of trade protection, such as a haircut formula or something else like that. But for the music industry, and it’s so unilateed? -You to hide?