Boeing Urges Appeals Court to Protect Defense Contractors’ Data

Boeing Co. asked the Federal Circuit to reverse a contract appeals board ruling which held that data rights markings the company placed on F-15 aircraft contract documents—which sought to restrict third-party use—didn’t conform to defense regulations.

The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals’ November 2018 decision backing the Air Force’s demand that Boeing remove the markings incorrectly interpreted a data rule that applies to parties to a government contract but not third parties, Boeing told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The board’s ruling threatens to undermine a statute that says data rights regulations may not impair ...