How must USGS scientific software information products be licensed? [137]

By Office of Science Quality and Integrity

In the United States, an original work of the U.S. Government is not eligible for copyright protection (17 USC 105a) and is automatically in the public domain. These works should include a license file with a public domain dedication statement to notify the public of the copyright status of the software. [Read more]

An original work of the U.S. Government is one that is authored solely by Federal employees and does not include any pre-existing third-party works. Refer to FAQ 136 and FAQ 225 for more information on Federally and non-Federally authored software. In the United States, an original work of the U.S. Government is not eligible for copyright protection (17 USC 105a) and is automatically in the public domain. However, the U.S. Government may reserve copyright in certain foreign jurisdictions. Accordingly, these works should include a license file, “LICENSE.md,” with a public domain dedication statement to notify the public of the copyright status of the software.

The Creative Commons Zero (CC0) is a public domain dedication for software that may be included on the original work to indicate that the USGS, which may own copyright in one or more countries outside the United States, wishes to place the work into the public domain worldwide to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the various jurisdictions.

For other situations (such as pre-existing work or an original work of the U.S. Government incorporating pre-existing third-party works) or to apply different licenses, please consult with the Department of the Interior Office of the Solicitor.