Nichtverbreitung

Nichtverbreitung is a German noun meaning non-dissemination or restraint from distributing information, goods, or technologies. It derives from verbreiten, “to disseminate,” with the negation nicht- indicating that dissemination is not allowed. The term is used across legal, political, and technical contexts to describe an obligation or prohibition not to spread content beyond authorized circles.

In law and policy, Nichtverbreitung refers to duties and rights related to information and intellectual property. Content creators may impose Nichtverbreitung through licenses or contractual clauses. Confidential information is protected by non-disclosure obligations, which in German contexts may be described as Nichtverbreitung, especially in business and research environments. Export controls and sanctions regimes also rely on Nichtverbreitung to prevent distribution of sensitive goods, technology, or information to restricted destinations or actors.

In international relations, Nichtverbreitung is a central concept in efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and related technologies. The term appears in discussions of nuclear non-proliferation agreements, such as the Nichtverbreitungsvertrag (NPT), and in broader non-proliferation frameworks, verification protocols, and export-control regimes.

In information security and data protection, Nichtverbreitung denotes practices that limit access to or dissemination of sensitive data. This includes principles such as confidentiality, need-to-know access, and data minimization, implemented through organizational policies and technical safeguards.

See also Verbreitung, Geheimhaltung, Nichtverbreitungsvertrag.