Can we talk about that clause that says you can't share your client list?

I was reviewing a contract for a freelance editing job last week and the client wanted me to sign a clause that said I could never mention their name or show their work in my portfolio. No time limit either, it was forever. I balked at it because how am I supposed to get new work if I can't show what I've done? I asked them to change it to a 2 year limit and they agreed, but it made me wonder what other people do with these kinds of non-disclosure rules. Has anyone else had a client try to lock up your portfolio like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_bailey5d agoMost Upvoted

Three years ago a freelance web developer buddy of mine signed a similar clause without thinking about it, and now he can't even mention a big project he did for a major retailer. That 2 year limit you got sounds like a win honestly, but here's my pointed question: did the contract also say anything about who gets to keep the working files or templates from the project? Because some of those "no portfolio" clauses sneak in language about ownership of the process too, not just the finished work (which can be a whole separate nightmare if you reuse any code or design elements). I've seen people get burned where they couldn't even show a generic version of the work (like a blurred out screenshot with no names) because the clause was written too broadly. What specifically did they change in the wording for you, or did they just add "for 2 years" to the end of the same sentence?

shane_morgan5d ago

Seems like they just tacked "for 2 years" onto the same sentence, didn't touch the rest of it. The working files thing is still muddy, I didn't push back on that part. Probably should've, honestly.