Boeing, Raytheon Fight to Protect Data in Federal Contracts

The federal government can do whatever it pleases with a contractor’s technical data, including passing on prototypes to competitors, under the unlimited rights licenses that it makes many companies agree to if they want to work for the U.S., it told the Federal Circuit last week.

Two defense contractors, Boeing Co. and Raytheon Co., are directly challenging the government in court, saying it violated data rules when it limited their ability to put restrictive markings on their vendor lists and other propriety information.

Boeing claims it is allowed to use markings on F-15 Air Force jet contract documents, which ...