Theory and practice of intellectual property
№ 2 / 2024
ISSN (Print) 2308-0361
ISSN (Online) 2519-2744
PDF (Ukrainian)DOI: https://doi.org/10.33731/22024.305603
Submitted 2024-03-01
Accepted 2024-03-27
Published 2024-06-04
Protecting intellectual property in US defence acquisitions
Yuriy Kapitsa
Doctor of Legal Sciences/Dr. Habil. (Law), Director of the Centre for Intellectual Property Studies and Technology Transfer of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9449-8422
Yevhen Holovach
Leading IP professional of the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO)
Ukraine
Pavlo Svidenko
IP professional of the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO)
Ukraine
Abstract
The article examines the legislation and practice of IP protection under defence procurement in the USA. The legislation of the US regarding the creation of inventions by Federal Agencies is analysed as well: terms of use of inventions, technical information, and software in defence procurement. IP rights acquired by the US Government; types of licences granted. The practice of IP management in the US Ministry of Defence (DoD), the conditions for licensing inventions, the rights to which belong to the US Government, and the forms of technology transfer are studied. The following principles of US practice are noted, which are important for improving the system of protection of intellectual property rights in the field of defence:
a) peculiarities of the regulation of the creation of inventions by civil servants and military personnel;
b) obligations of Federal Agencies that acquire IP rights to ensure their legal protection, submit applications, and maintain patents in force;
c) identification of IP rights objects created by the executors of defence procurement, as well as by third parties before the conclusion of the procurement contract, and which are used in the products, works, and services that are the subject of the procurement. Acquisition by the Government of IP rights (licences) for the use of such IP;
d) determination of new IP rights objects created during procurement;
e) determination of the rights of the state customer and the executor in relation to IP rights created during the execution of defence purchases: (i) only at the expense of the customer, (ii) at the expense of joint financing of the customer and the executor, (iii) only at the expense of the executor;
f) creation of a centralized database of IP, which has been obtained by the Government in the field of defence, including during defence procurement;
g) determination of the procedure for payment by the state customer of royalties;
h) determination of the procedure for granting licences by Federal Agencies;
i) approximation of IP management principles to DoD practice, which includes, in particular, the IP Cadre that provides assistance on IP in procurement contracts;
j) determination of the principles of technology transfer created in the DoD and its divisions; receiving royalties and payment of remuneration by inventors for the use of IP rights.
Keywords: defence procurement, intellectual property, inventions, US
References
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