IP ownership, data rights allocation, and marking guidance for ARES-E deliverables. Aligned with DOE Genesis Mission OT Agreement Appendix II (Patent Rights) and Appendix III (Data Rights).
ARES-E operates under an open data-rights posture. All source code is released under the MIT License. The Government receives Unlimited Rights to all technical data and computer software produced under this agreement. No proprietary restrictions, no Protected Data markings, and no time-limited exclusivity windows apply to ARES-E deliverables.
This guide defines the rights allocation, patent posture, data marking requirements, and compliance checklist for personnel handling ARES-E intellectual property.
| Deliverable Category | Example | Rights Granted to Government | Rights Retained by Performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source Code | All files under app/ |
Unlimited Rights | MIT License (full public use) |
| Test Suites | All files under tests/ |
Unlimited Rights | MIT License |
| Technical Documentation | All files under docs/ |
Unlimited Rights | MIT License |
| Training Materials | Notebooks, onboarding guides | Unlimited Rights | MIT License |
| Container Images | Docker Compose services | Unlimited Rights | MIT License |
| VVUQ Artifacts | Score computations, validation logs | Unlimited Rights | MIT License |
| Audit Ledger Exports | STIX/TAXII 2.1 bundles | Unlimited Rights | MIT License |
Under the Simplified Patent Rights clause (for small business / nonprofit performers):
| Requirement | ARES-E Status |
|---|---|
| Disclose Subject Inventions within 2 months | No Subject Inventions anticipated; all algorithms are published/public-domain |
| Elect title within 2 years of disclosure | N/A — open-source posture precludes title election |
| File patent application within 1 year of election | N/A |
| Government retains nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable license | Satisfied by MIT License (grants broader rights) |
| March-in rights (reasonable terms) | Government already has Unlimited Rights |
| Preference for U.S. industry | All development performed in U.S.; no foreign manufacturing |
If the standard clause applies:
| Requirement | ARES-E Compliance |
|---|---|
| Initial Patent Rights Certification | Submit with Recipient's proposal |
| Annual Patent Rights Certification | Submit during each year of performance |
| Retain title subject to Government license | Government license satisfied by MIT License |
| Report Subject Inventions on SF 298/DD-882 | Will report if any arise (none anticipated) |
| Include patent rights clause in subcontracts | All subcontractors receive identical MIT terms |
ARES-E elects Open Access under Appendix III Option 1:
| Term | Value |
|---|---|
| Protected Data Period | None (0 years) |
| Data Rights Category | Unlimited Rights |
| Marking Requirements | None — all data delivered without restrictive markings |
| Third-party access | Unrestricted; MIT License permits redistribution |
| Government Purpose Rights | Subsumed by Unlimited Rights |
| SBIR/STTR Data Rights | Not applicable |
Because ARES-E operates under open data rights, no restrictive markings are applied to any deliverable. Specifically:
- DO NOT stamp "LIMITED RIGHTS" or "GOVERNMENT PURPOSE RIGHTS" on any ARES-E file.
- DO NOT mark any source code as "Protected Data" or "Proprietary."
- DO include the MIT License header in all source files.
- DO include the standard copyright notice:
© 2025 DaScient Corporation. MIT License.
For reference, had the Proprietary posture (Appendix III Option 2) been elected, the following would apply:
| Term | Proprietary Value |
|---|---|
| Protected Data Period | Up to 5 years from agreement completion |
| Marking | "PROTECTED DATA — [Performer Name] — Agreement No. [X]" |
| Government access | Government Purpose Rights during Protected Period |
| Post-period access | Unlimited Rights after Protected Period expires |
| Deployment license | Government retains non-exclusive deployment license |
ARES-E does not use this option. This section is provided for institutional awareness only.
Per the DOE DUA template, ARES-E complies with:
| DUA Requirement | ARES-E Status |
|---|---|
| Ownership election (Creator / Government) | Creator retains ownership; Government receives Unlimited Rights |
| Pre-existing IP identification | No pre-existing proprietary IP incorporated |
| Deployment license grant | MIT License grants deployment rights to all parties |
| Publication rights | Unrestricted; open-source |
| Safe harbor for research use | All research use permitted under MIT License |
| Data destruction upon termination | No Protected Data exists requiring destruction |
| Annual compliance certification | Available upon request |
Per the DOE AI Bridge Agreement for National Laboratory collaboration:
| Requirement | ARES-E Compliance |
|---|---|
| Non-proprietary algorithms | All algorithms are published; no trade secrets |
| Government-funded IP disclosure | All source code publicly available on GitHub |
| Lab access to code and data | Unrestricted via MIT License |
| Joint publication rights | Granted; no prior-approval requirement |
| Background IP protection | No background IP incorporated; clean-room development |
| Commercialization rights | MIT License permits commercial use by all parties |
Per Section IV (Obligation and Expenditure of Funds):
| Warranty | ARES-E Certification |
|---|---|
| No undisclosed proprietary components | Certified — all components are open-source with documented licenses |
| No patent infringement | Certified — no patented algorithms used |
| No trade secret incorporation | Certified — all methods are published in peer-reviewed literature or public documentation |
| No third-party license encumbrances | Certified — all dependencies are MIT, BSD-3, or PSF licensed |
| Cost-share IP handled per agreement | N/A — no cost-share IP at this time |
- Confirm MIT License header is present in new source files.
- Verify no proprietary libraries or datasets were introduced.
- Run
pip auditto check for known vulnerabilities in dependencies. - Ensure no restrictive markings are applied to any file.
- Confirm all documentation includes the standard copyright notice.
- Verify no "LIMITED RIGHTS" or "PROPRIETARY" markings exist in the repository.
- Confirm STIX/TAXII exports do not contain PII or classified data.
- Run
git log --onelineto confirm all commits are traceable.
- Submit Patent Rights Certification (if required by agreement terms).
- Submit Data Rights Certification confirming open posture.
- Inventory all third-party dependencies and their licenses.
- Confirm no Subject Inventions have arisen (or disclose if so).