FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 252: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 252.2

DFARS 252.227-7020 Rights in special works.

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 clause governs rights in works first created and delivered under the contract, giving the Government unlimited rights and requiring the Contractor to assign copyright to the Government. It also sets rules for incorporating third-party copyrighted material and requires the Contractor to indemnify the Government for certain claims. It matters because it determines who owns and can use the deliverables you produce.

Applies to: Contractors delivering works first created or generated under the contract

What it requires

  • Assign copyright in works first produced, created, or generated and required to be delivered under the contract to the Government
  • Place the specified copyright notice on such works unless directed otherwise by the Contracting Officer
  • Obtain written Contracting Officer approval before incorporating third-party copyrighted works, unless the Contractor is the copyright owner or has obtained the required license rights
  • Affix a statement of license rights to the transmittal document, or for computer software provide a statement in a form acceptable to the Contracting Officer, prior to delivery

Key terms: Unlimited rights · Works · Computer software · Computer data base · Computer software documentation

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

As prescribed in 227.7105-3, 227.7106(a) or 227.7205(a), use the following clause:

Rights in Special Works (JUN 1995)

(a) Applicability. This clause applies to works first created, generated, or produced and required to be delivered under this contract.

(b) Definitions. As used in this clause:

(1) “Computer data base” means a collection of data recorded in a form capable of being processed by a computer. The term does not include computer software.

(2) “Computer program” means a set of instructions, rules, or routines recorded in a form that is capable of causing a computer to perform a specific operation or series of operations.

(3) “Computer software” means computer programs, source code, source code listings, object code listings, design details, algorithms, processes, flow charts, formulae and related material that would enable the software to be reproduced, recreated, or recompiled. Computer software does not include computer data bases or computer software documentation.

(4) “Computer software documentation” means owner's manuals, user's manuals, installation instructions, operating instructions, and other similar items, regardless of storage medium, that explain the capabilities of the computer software or provide instructions for using the software.

(5) “Unlimited rights” means the rights to use, modify, reproduce, perform, display, release, or disclose a work in whole or in part, in any manner, and for any purpose whatsoever, and to have or authorize others to do so.

(6) The term “works” includes computer data bases, computer software, or computer software documentation; literary, musical, choreographic, or dramatic compositions; pantomimes; pictorial, graphic, or sculptural compositions; motion pictures and other audiovisual compositions; sound recordings in any medium; or, items of similar nature.

(c) License rights. (1) The Government shall have unlimited rights in works first produced, created, or generated and required to be delivered under this contract.

(2) When a work is first produced, created, or generated under this contract, and such work is required to be delivered under this contract, the Contractor shall assign copyright in those works to the Government. The Contractor, unless directed to the contrary by the Contracting Officer, shall place the following notice on such works: “© (Year date of delivery) United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of (department). All rights reserved.”

For phonorecords, the “©” markings shall be replaced by a “P”.

(3) The Contractor grants to the Government a royalty-free, world-wide, nonexclusive, irrevocable license to reproduce, prepare derivative works from, distribute, perform, or display, and to have or authorize others to do so, the Contractor's copyrighted works not first produced, created, or generated under this contract that have been incorporated into the works deliverable under this contract.

(d) Third party copyrighted data. The Contractor shall not incorporate, without the written approval of the Contracting Officer, any copyrighted works in the works to be delivered under this contract unless the Contractor is the copyright owner or has obtained for the Government the license rights necessary to perfect a license of the scope identified in paragraph (c)(3) of this clause and, prior to delivery of such works—

(1) Has affixed to the transmittal document a statement of the license rights obtained; or

(2) For computer software, has provided a statement of the license rights obtained in a form acceptable to the Contracting Officer.

(e) Indemnification. The Contractor shall indemnify and save and hold harmless the Government, and its officers, agents and employees acting for the Government, against any liability, including costs and expenses, (1) for violation of proprietary rights, copyrights, or rights of privacy or publicity, arising out of the creation, delivery, use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or disclosure of any works furnished under this contract, or (2) based upon any libelous or other unlawful matter contained in such works.

(f) Government-furnished information. Paragraphs (d) and (e) of this clause are not applicable to information furnished to the Contractor by the Government and incorporated in the works delivered under this contract.

(End of clause)

Sections it refers to

Sections that refer to it

← 252.227-7019 Validation of Asserted Restrictions—Computer Software. · 252.227-7021 Rights in data—existing works. →

Rule changes for DFARS Part 252

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

DFARS 252.227-7020 Rights in special works · SpendQuery