FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 227: Patents, Data, and Copyrights › Subpart 227.3
DFARS 227.303 Contract clauses.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This section tells contracting officers which patent rights clauses to include in certain solicitations and contracts. It matters to contractors because the clause used depends on whether the contractor is a small business or nonprofit organization and on the type of work involved.
Applies to: Solicitations and contracts involving patent rights clauses
Key terms: Patents—Reporting of Subject Inventions · Patent Rights—Ownership by the Contractor · Patent Rights—Ownership by the Contractor (Large Business) · small business concern · nonprofit organization
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(1) Use the clause at 252.227-7039, Patents—Reporting of Subject Inventions, in solicitations and contracts containing the clause at FAR 52.227-11, Patent Rights—Ownership by the Contractor.
(2)(i) Use the clause at 252.227-7038, Patent Rights—Ownership by the Contractor (Large Business), instead of the clause at FAR 52.227-11, in solicitations and contracts for experimental, developmental, or research work if—
(A) The contractor is other than a small business concern or nonprofit organization; and
(B) No alternative patent rights clause is used in accordance with FAR 27.303(c) or (e).
(ii) Use the clause with its Alternate I if—
(A) The acquisition of patent rights for the benefit of a foreign government is required under a treaty or executive agreement;
(B) The agency head determines at the time of award that it would be in the national interest to acquire the right to sublicense foreign governments or international organizations pursuant to any existing or future treaty or agreement; or
(C) Other rights are necessary to effect a treaty or agreement, in which case Alternate I may be appropriately modified.
(iii) Use the clause with its Alternate II in long-term contracts if necessary to effect treaty or agreements to be entered into.
Sections it refers to
- 252.227-7039 Patents—reporting of subject inventions.
- 52.227-11 Patent Rights—Ownership by the Contractor.
- 252.227-7038 Patent Rights—Ownership by the Contractor (Large Business).
- 27.303 Contract clauses.
Sections that refer to it
- 252.227-7038 Patent Rights—Ownership by the Contractor (Large Business).
- 252.227-7039 Patents—reporting of subject inventions.
Rule changes for DFARS Part 227
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2025-08-25 · effective 2025-08-25
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Small Business Innovation Research Program Data Rights (DFARS Case 2019-D043) ↗ · final rule 2024-12-18 · effective 2025-01-17
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Use of DoD Program Nomenclature (DFARS Case 2021-D002) ↗ · proposed 2024-02-15 · comments due 2024-04-15
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.