FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 227: Patents, Data, and Copyrights › Subpart 227.71
DFARS 227.7105-1 General.
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 explains what counts as an 'existing work' under DFARS and notes that such works usually were not first created under a Government contract. Because the Government typically does not own these works, it must obtain a license to reproduce, distribute, make derivative works from, or publicly perform or display them. When the Government is not responsible for the content, it should require the copyright owner to indemnify the Government for related liabilities.
Applies to: Government contracting for existing works such as audiovisual, sound, musical, dramatic, literary, pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
What it requires
- Obtain a license from the copyright owner if the Government intends to reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works, or perform or display the work publicly
- Require the copyright owner to indemnify the Government for liabilities arising out of the content, performance, use, or disclosure of the data when the Government is not responsible for the content
- Follow procedures at 227.7106 for works first created under a Government contract when the Government needs to control distribution or obtain indemnity
- Follow procedures at 227.7103 when the Government does not need to control distribution or obtain such indemnities
Key terms: existing works · license · derivative works · indemnify · Government contract
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) Existing works include motion pictures, television recordings, video recordings, and other audiovisual works in any medium; sound recordings in any medium; musical, dramatic, and literary works; pantomimes and choreographic works; pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works; and works of a similar nature. Usually, these or similar works were not first created, developed, generated, originated, prepared, or produced under a Government contract. Therefore, the Government must obtain a license in the work if it intends to reproduce the work, distribute copies of the work, prepare derivative works, or perform or display the work publicly. When the Government is not responsible for the content of an existing work, it should require the copyright owner to indemnify the Government for liabilities that may arise out of the content, performance, use, or disclosure of such data.
(b) Follow the procedures at 227.7106 for works which will be first created, developed, generated, originated, prepared, or produced under a Government contract and the Government needs to control distribution of the work or has a specific need to obtain indemnity for liabilities that may arise out of the creation, content, performance, use, or disclosure of the work or from libelous or other unlawful material contained in the work. Follow the procedures at 227.7103 when the Government does not need to control distribution of such works or obtain such indemnities.
← 227.7105 Contracts for the acquisition of existing works. · 227.7105-2 Acquisition of existing works without modification. →
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.