[Erax]

Here's another real-life IP issue : the company I work for purchases machine parts from a certain supplier (the only one in the country for those specific parts).

Our maintenance people would like to have the supplier's drawings for a few critical parts so they could measure them on arrival, to ensure that they will assemble correctly when needed.

The problem is that the drawings are the supplier's IP and they might not want to hand them over, no matter how many non-disclosure agreemeents we sign. The reason is that if those drawings get out, the market may be flooded with pirate parts and the damage to their business will be so extensive that it isn't worth the risk.

We are essentially paying for other people's crimes. There may be a solution but it won't be easy.