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DFARS Clause ACTIVE

252.227-7021

Rights in data—existing works.
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Effective Date
MAR 1979
Active Deviations
1
Versions
1 (since 2016-12-22)
RFO
Removed Under RFO

This clause is marked [Reserved] under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (Deviation 2026-O0036). It no longer applies to contracts using the RFO model.

View deviation details
252.227-7021 Rights in data—existing works.

As prescribed at 227.7105-2(a), use the following clause:

Rights in Data—Existing Works (MAR 1979)

(a) The term
works
as used herein includes literary, musical, and dramatic works; pantomimes and choreographic works; pictorial, graphic and sculptural works; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; sound recordings; and works of a similar nature. The term does not include financial reports, cost analyses, and other information incidental to contract administration.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this contract, the Contractor hereby grants to the Government a nonexclusive, paid-up license throughout the world (1) to distribute, perform publicly, and display publicly the works called for under this contract and (2) to authorize others to do so for Government purposes.

(c) 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, or use, of any works furnished under this contract, or (2) based upon any libelous or other unlawful matter contained in same works.

(End of clause)

[56 FR 36479, July 31, 1991, as amended at 60 FR 33504, June 28, 1994]
RFO
Prescription superseded under the RFO

The prescription shown below is from the codified eCFR. Under the RFO, the prescribing section may have been revised, relocated or reserved. See the deviation memorandum for the current prescription authority.

View deviation: 2026-O0036 →
227.7105-2(a)
(a) Use the clause at 252.227-7021 , Rights in Data-Existing Works, in lieu of the clause at 252.227-7013 , Rights in Technical Data-Other Than Commercial Products and Commercial Services, in solicitations and contracts exclusively for existing works when--
(1) The existing works will be acquired without modification; and
(2) The Government requires the right to reproduce, prepare derivative works, or publicly perform or display the existing works; or
(3) The Government has a specific need to obtain indemnity for liabilities that may arise out of the content, performance, use, or disclosure of such data.
Prescription data sourced from eCFR as of 2026-06-10 03:16 UTC. Cross-references within the prescription are not resolved automatically.

Regulatory Stack

The layers of regulation that govern this clause, from the FAR prescription through agency-specific supplements and any active deviations.

R-DFARS R-DFARS Prescription Per Deviation 2026-O0036 (DFARS Part 227)
2026-O0036: DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 27) — DFARS Part 227

View Deviation 2026-O0036 →

DFARS DFARS Supplement (eCFR) ⚠ May be superseded by RFO 227.7105-2(a)
(a) Use the clause at 252.227-7021 , Rights in Data-Existing Works, in lieu of the clause at 252.227-7013 , Rights in Technical Data-Other Than Commercial Products and Commercial Services, in solicitations and contracts exclusively for existing works when--
(1) The existing works will be acquired without modification; and
(2) The Government requires the right to reproduce, prepare derivative works, or publicly perform or display the existing works; or
(3) The Government has a specific need to obtain indemnity for liabilities that may arise out of the content, performance, use, or disclosure of such data.

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Version History

Version history is sourced from the codified eCFR. Changes published only as class deviations or by the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul do not appear here until they are incorporated into the eCFR. For RFO-driven changes see the RFO Version tab and any active deviations cited above.

No version history available from eCFR.

Active Class Deviations

DFARS RFO Implementation (Part 27) Modify clause 252.227-7021
MODIFIED
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