FAR 52.227-3 Patent Indemnity

Clause Federal Acquisition Regulation Apr 1984 version

Facts

Citation
FAR 52.227-3
Type
Clause
Current version
April 1984
Prescribed in
FAR 27.201-2(c)(1)
Alternates
Alternate I, Alternate II, Alternate III
Last amended
85 FR 27088 Effective Jun 5, 2020
Proposed changes
1
Text as of
FAC 2026-01
Official text
acquisition.gov

Text from acquisition.gov. Federal Register history from the Federal Register's records of the rules that amended this clause.

Text

As prescribed in 27.201-2(c)(1), insert the following clause:

Patent Indemnity (Apr 1984)

(a) The Contractor shall indemnify the Government and its officers, agents, and employees against liability, including costs, for infringement of any United States patent (except a patent issued upon an application that is now or may hereafter be withheld from issue pursuant to a Secrecy Order under 35 U.S.C. 181) arising out of the manufacture or delivery of supplies, the performance of services, or the construction, alteration, modification, or repair of real property (hereinafter referred to as "construction work") under this contract, or out of the use or disposal by or for the account of the Government of such supplies or construction work.

(b) This indemnity shall not apply unless the Contractor shall have been informed as soon as practicable by the Government of the suit or action alleging such infringement and shall have been given such opportunity as is afforded by applicable laws, rules, or regulations to participate in its defense. Further, this indemnity shall not apply to—

(1) An infringement resulting from compliance with specific written instructions of the Contracting Officer directing a change in the supplies to be delivered or in the materials or equipment to be used, or directing a manner of performance of the contract not normally used by the Contractor;

(2) An infringement resulting from addition to or change in supplies or components furnished or construction work performed that was made subsequent to delivery or performance; or

(3) A claimed infringement that is unreasonably settled without the consent of the Contractor, unless required by final decree of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(End of clause)

Alternate I (Apr 1984)

Alternate I (Apr 1984). As prescribed in 27.201-2 (c)(2), add the following paragraph (c) to the basic clause:

(c) This patent indemnification shall not apply to the following items:

[fill-in]

Alternate II (Apr 1984)

Alternate II (Apr 1984). As prescribed in 27.201-2 (c)(2), add the following paragraph (c) to the basic clause:

(c) This patent indemnification shall cover the following items:

[fill-in]

Alternate III (Jun 2020)

Alternate III (Jun 2020). As prescribed in 27.201-2 (c)(3), add the following paragraph (c) to the basic clause:

( ) As to subcontracts at any tier for communication service, this clause shall apply only to individual communication service authorizations over the simplified acquisition threshold, as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101 on the date of subcontract award, issued under this contract and covering those communications services and facilities-

(1) That are or have been sold or offered for sale by the Contractor to the public,

(2) That can be provided over commercially available equipment, or

(3) That involve relatively minor modifications.

Federal Register history

Final rule Published Effective
Federal Acquisition Regulation: Applicability of Inflation Adjustments of Acquisition-Related Thresholds 85 FR 27088 · FAC 2020-06
Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 1999-402, FAR Part 27 Rewrite in Plain Language 72 FR 63045 · FAC 2005-21

Proposed changes

Proposed rule Published Comments
Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 9, 27, and 47 91 FR 59584 · FAR Case 2026-011, Docket No. FAR-2026-0011, Sequence No. 1 Closed Oct 19, 2026No final rule found

Quick answers

What is FAR 52.227-3?

FAR 52.227-3 is a clause of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, titled "Patent Indemnity".

What is the current version of FAR 52.227-3?

The current version is dated April 1984.

Where is FAR 52.227-3 prescribed?

It is prescribed in FAR 27.201-2(c)(1), Contract clauses.

When was FAR 52.227-3 last changed?

The most recent final rule on record is "Federal Acquisition Regulation: Applicability of Inflation Adjustments of Acquisition-Related Thresholds" (85 FR 27088), published May 6, 2020 and effective Jun 5, 2020.

Are changes to FAR 52.227-3 proposed?

One proposed change has no final rule yet.

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