2012 Defense Act Could Weaken Contractors' IP Rights

Washington, D.C.-based Government Contracts Group partner John E. McCarthy, Jr. speaks with Government Contracts Law360 about Congress' effort to increase competition among defense contractors by giving the U.S. military more leeway to demand technical data that is used to design the weapons it purchases. However, the broad and ambiguous wording of the law could leave contractors scrambling to protect their intellectual property rights.

According to McCarthy, "Companies can spend millions of dollars on developing their intellectual property, and they want clarity on whether or not they can retain that IP. If the regulations attempt to push the envelope, it's going to be very troublesome for many contractors."