> Great to see this discussion - I think that most contracts in many areas of law could be standardised. The same way that open source and creative commons licenses standardise those areas.

In principle, this is a great idea. In practice, not so much. The problem with boilerplate contracts is that they're often unenforceable. In fact, simply having an IM conversation with someone in which you discuss and negotiate the responsibilities of each side could carry more weight in litigation than some obtuse, boilerplate contract.

I've actually been working on an NDA generator for a while now, and I'm hoping to eventually get it to a point where the variable elements can be negotiable by each side of the agreement. For example, things like duration/scope, when allowed by the respective jurisdiction, should be negotiable. Launching this into a full service (or a component of another service) that handles confidential information exchanges could be useful, too.

In the UK most construction contracts are standardised. The most common construction contract is the Joint Contracts Tribunal Standard Building Contract. Also see New Engineering Contract. Architects use the RIBA Standard Form of Appointment and there are equivalents for other construction consultants. With all these contracts you must buy a copy of the contract every time you use it.