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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§8687 Status of Government rights in the designs of vessels, boats, and craft, and components thereof

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle C— - Navy and Marine Corps › Part PART IV— - GENERAL ADMINISTRATION › Chapter CHAPTER 863— - NAVAL VESSELS › § 8687

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Government ownership of designs for vessels, boats, crafts, and their parts (like hulls, decks, superstructure, and shipboard systems) is decided in two ways. If the item was procured by a contract, the rights follow subchapter I of chapter 275 of this title. If it was obtained under a different agreement not covered by that subchapter, the rights follow the terms of that agreement. Only a law that explicitly refers to this rule can change or replace it.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §8687

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Government rights in the design of a vessel, boat, or craft, and its components, including the hull, decks, superstructure, and all shipboard equipment and systems, shall be determined solely as follows:
(1)In the case of a vessel, boat, craft, or component procured through a contract, in accordance with the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 275 of this title.
(2)In the case of a vessel, boat, craft, or component procured through an instrument not governed by subchapter I of chapter 275 of this title, by the terms of the instrument (other than a contract) under which the design for such vessel, boat, craft, or component, as applicable, was developed for the Government.
(b)This section may be modified or superseded by a provision of statute only if such provision expressly refers to this section in modifying or superseding this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 8687, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 536; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(188), 72 Stat. 1534; Sept. 7, 1962, Pub. L. 87–649, § 6(d), 76 Stat. 494, related to compensation for members of Air Force other than Regular Air Force prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title VI, § 604(f)(1)(A), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3877.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “subchapter I of chapter 275” for “section 2320” in pars. (1) and (2). 2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 7317 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2021 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 8687

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73