FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 227: Patents, Data, and Copyrights › Subpart 227.71
DFARS 227.7103-6 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 DFARS clauses to include in solicitations and contracts when contractors will deliver technical data. It matters because it determines which rights-in-data clauses govern your deliverables, including situations involving commercial products or services developed partly at Government expense. It also lists clauses to use alongside the main technical data clause and when to use alternates.
Applies to: Solicitations and contracts requiring delivery of technical data, including those using FAR part 12 commercial procedures
What it requires
- Use clause 252.227-7013 when the successful offeror must deliver technical data pertaining to other than commercial products or services, or to commercial products or services with Government-paid development costs
- Do not use clause 252.227-7013 when the only deliverables are computer software or documentation, commercial products or services developed exclusively at private expense, existing works, or special works
- Use clause 252.227-7013 with Alternate I in research solicitations and contracts when the contracting officer, in consultation with counsel, makes the specified determination about public dissemination
- Use clause 252.227-7013 with Alternate II for development or delivery of a vessel design or useful article embodying a vessel design
Key terms: technical data · commercial products · commercial services · restrictive legends · SBIR
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) Use the clause at 252.227-7013, Rights in Technical Data—Other Than Commercial Products and Commercial Services, in solicitations and contracts, including solicitations and contracts using FAR part 12 procedures for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services, when the successful offeror(s) will be required to deliver to the Government technical data pertaining to other than commercial products or commercial services, or pertaining to commercial products or commercial services for which the Government will have paid for any portion of the development costs (in which case the clause at 252.227-7013 will govern the technical data pertaining to any portion of a commercial product or commercial service that was developed in any part at Government expense, and the clause at 252.227-7015 will govern the technical data pertaining to any portion of a commercial product or commercial service that was developed exclusively at private expense). Do not use the clause when the only deliverable items are computer software or computer software documentation (see 227.72), commercial products or commercial services developed exclusively at private expense (see 227.7102-4), existing works (see 227.7105), or special works (see 227.7106). When contracting under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program or the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, see 227.7104-4(a).
(b)(1) Use the clause at 252.227-7013 with its Alternate I in research solicitations and contracts, including research solicitations and contracts using FAR part 12 procedures for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services, when the contracting officer determines, in consultation with counsel, that public dissemination by the contractor would be—
(i) In the interest of the government; and
(ii) Facilitated by the Government relinquishing its right to publish the work for sale, or to have others publish the work for sale on behalf of the Government.
(2) Use the clause at 252.227-7013 with its Alternate II in solicitations and contracts, including solicitations and contracts using FAR part 12 procedures for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services, that are for the development or delivery of a vessel design or any useful article embodying a vessel design.
(c) Use the clause at 252.227-7025, Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends, in solicitations and contracts when it is anticipated that the Government will provide the contractor (other than a litigation support contractor covered by 252.204-7014), for performance of its contract, technical data marked with another contractor's restrictive legend(s).
(d) Use the provision at 252.227-7028, Technical Data or Computer Software Previously Delivered to the Government, in solicitations when the resulting contract will require the contractor to deliver technical data. The provision requires offerors to identify any technical data specified in the solicitations as deliverable data items that are the same or substantially the same as data items the offeror has delivered or is obligated to deliver, either as a contractor or subcontractor, under any other federal agency contract.
(e) Use the following clauses in solicitations and contracts that include the clause at 252.227-7013:
(1) 252.227-7016, Rights in Bid or Proposal Information.
(2) 252.227-7030, Technical Data—Withholding of Payment.
(3) 252.227-7037, Validation of Asserted Restrictions on Technical Data (paragraph (e) of the clause contains information that must be included in a challenge).
Sections it refers to
- 252.227-7013 Rights in Technical Data—Other Than Commercial Products and Commercial Services.
- 252.227-7015 Technical Data—Commercial Products and Commercial Services.
- 227.7102-4 Contract clauses.
- 227.7105 Contracts for the acquisition of existing works.
- 227.7106 Contracts for special works.
- 227.7104-4 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
- 252.227-7025 Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government-Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends.
- 252.204-7014 Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Information by Litigation Support Contractors.
- 252.227-7028 Technical data or computer software previously delivered to the government.
- 252.227-7016 Rights in Bid or Proposal Information.
- 252.227-7030 Technical data—withholding of payment.
- 252.227-7037 Validation of Asserted Restrictions on Technical Data.
Sections that refer to it
- 209.505-4 Obtaining access to proprietary information.
- 212.301 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services.
- 227.7102-4 Contract clauses.
- 227.7103-3 Early identification of technical data to be furnished to the Government with restrictions on use, reproduction, or disclosure.
- 252.227-7013 Rights in Technical Data—Other Than Commercial Products and Commercial Services.
- 252.227-7016 Rights in Bid or Proposal Information.
- 252.227-7025 Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government-Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends.
- 252.227-7028 Technical data or computer software previously delivered to the government.
- 252.227-7030 Technical data—withholding of payment.
- 252.227-7037 Validation of Asserted Restrictions on Technical Data.
← 227.7103-5 Government rights. · 227.7103-7 Use and nondisclosure agreement. →
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.