Alex Sarria Quoted on Data Rights Protection under U.S. Government Contracts by Bloomberg Law
Subtitle
"Boeing, Raytheon Fight to Protect Data in Federal Contracts"
Bloomberg Law
Alex Sarria was quoted regarding two pending cases against the United States in which government contractors seek to prevent unauthorized use of their proprietary data by competitors. In the litigation, the government has argued it can do whatever it wants with contractor-owned data furnished pursuant to unlimited rights licenses, which includes forcing contractors to provide unmarked copies of such data and sharing it with their competitors. "A contractor's ability to control proprietary data is at greater risk if it can’t put third parties on notice that the data may not be used without a paid license or other proper authorization," Sarria said. He added that, if the government prevails in these cases, it may lead to "an increase in intellectual property litigation brought by contractors that want to protect and commercialize their proprietary data."