FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 227: Patents, Data, and Copyrights › Subpart 227.72
DFARS 227.7202-4 Contract clause.
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 states that DFARS does not prescribe a specific contract clause for the Government's rights in commercial computer software or commercial computer software documentation. Instead, those rights must be identified in a license agreement, as required by another DFARS section. This matters because contractors should expect the license agreement, not a standard clause, to define the Government's rights.
Applies to: Contracts involving commercial computer software or commercial computer software documentation
What it requires
- Identify the Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose the software or documentation in a license agreement
Key terms: commercial computer software · commercial computer software documentation · license agreement · Government's rights
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
A specific contract clause governing the Government's rights in commercial computer software or commercial computer software documentation is not prescribed. As required by 227.7202-3, the Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose computer software or computer software documentation shall be identified in a license agreement.
Sections it refers to
- 227.7202-3 Rights in commercial computer software or commercial computer software documentation.
← 227.7202-3 Rights in commercial computer software or commercial computer software documentation. · 227.7203 Other than commercial computer software and other than commercial computer software documentation. →
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.