Intellectual property and Crown procurement contracts

The Policy on Title to Intellectual Property Arising Under Crown Procurement Contracts (the Policy) addresses the ownership and licensing of intellectual property ( IP ) arising during a Crown procurement contract. The primary objective of a Crown procurement contract is to receive the deliverables contracted for and to have the use of those deliverables and any arising IP . The Policy recognizes the socio-economic benefits of promoting the commercialization of IP and acknowledges that the private sector is generally better positioned than government to commercialize IP .

In 2020, a review of the Policy on Title was conducted.

This Implementation Guide is intended solely for the use of public servants (e.g., managers engaging in contracting, procurement officers, etc.) to assist with the application of the Policy. It illustrates, step by step, the process for determining the ownership or licensing of IP arising under Crown procurement contracts.