IT firms can now sell govt products
Software developed for government departments will soon be able to be commercialised, thanks to a federal government decision to allow the practice.
The decision was made as a result of the Gershon Review into government use of information and communications technology, and was an outcome that the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) had long been campaigning for.
"This is a very strong outcome for the ICT industry, particularly [small-to-medium-sized enterprises], and one that AIIA has worked hard to secure for many years," AIIA chief executive officer Ian Birks said in a statement yesterday.
"When a software company retains ownership of IP [intellectual property], it encourages the commercialisation of IP across the ICT sector and fosters a competitive culture of innovation. This outcome will provide immediate and long-term returns to both government and the ICT industry," he said.
The change is not retroactive, however, meaning that only software pertaining to contracts negotiated from 1 October 2010 will include this new principle.