Proposal for a New 'Rights in Software' Clause for Software Acquisitions by the Department of Defense.

Abstract

This report recommends three distinct regulatory strategies for addressing difficulties the Department of Defense (DoD) has been experiencing with respect to legal issues related to software acquisitions. First, the report reiterates the Software Licensing Project's earlier recommendation that the DoD adopt the proposed Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) data rights provisions instead of the proposed revisions to the DoD supplement to the FAR (DoD FAR SUPP). Secondly, in the event that the Defense Department chooses to adopt a data rights procurement policy different from that found in the data rights provisions of the proposed FAR, this report recommends that the DoD adopt a separate Rights in Software clause for software acquisitions, rather than continuing the present practice of handling software procurements under the Rights in Technical Data clause. Reasons in support of a separate software acquisition policy, as well as a beginning model Rights in Software clause are offered. Finally, in the event that the DoD elects to retain the procurement format presently found in the DoD FAR SUPP provisions governing software and technical data acquisitions, this report offers several concrete recommendations for changes to those regulations which should result in a procurement policy which more effectively meets the mission needs of the Defense Department.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA182093

Entities

People

  • Anne C. Martin
  • Kevin Deasy
  • Pamela Samuelson

Organizations

  • Carnegie Mellon University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Commerce
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Computers
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Data Rights
  • Department Of Defense
  • Engineering
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Intellectual Property
  • Law
  • National Governments
  • Software Development
  • Trade Secrets
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.