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D.C. Circuit Overturns Decision To Release Manufacturing Data Under FOIA

Client Alert | 1 min read | 04.05.10

In United Technologies Corp. v. DoD, the DC Circuit set aside a DCMA decision to release under FOIA certain Corrective Action Requests (CARs) from DCMA regarding alleged problems with Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney manufacturing processes. Although the court found that the competitive harm that could result from their competitors using that information to discredit Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney in the marketplace is not the type of harm that Exemption 4 was designed to protect, the court nonetheless found that the information was not releasable because DoD had not rebutted Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney's argument that the CARs disclosed proprietary information regarding their manufacturing processes that would allow their competitors to improve their own manufacturing and quality control systems to the competitive detriment of Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney.

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Client Alert | 1 min read | 04.18.24

GSA Clarifies Permissibility of Upfront Payments for Software-as-a-Service Offerings

On March 15, 2024, the General Services Administration (GSA) issued Acquisition Letter MV-2024-01 providing guidance to GSA contracting officers on the use of upfront payments for acquisitions of cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).  Specifically, this acquisition letter clarifies that despite statutory prohibitions against the use of “advance” payments outside of narrowly-prescribed circumstances, upfront payments for SaaS licenses do not constitute an “advance” payment subject to these restrictions when made under the following conditions:...