Article 6 Ownership

The Union shall be the owner of all tangible and intangible assets created or developed under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes. To that effect, agreements shall be concluded with third parties, wherever appropriate, with regard to existing ownership rights.

The Commission shall ensure, through an appropriate framework, the optimal use of the assets referred to in this Article; in particular, it shall manage the intellectual property rights relating to the Galileo and EGNOS programmes as effectively as possible, taking into account the need to protect and give value to the Union's intellectual property rights, the interests of all stakeholders, and the necessity of harmonious development of the markets and of new technologies. To that end, it shall ensure that the contracts entered into, under the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, include the possibility of transferring or licensing intellectual property rights arising from work performed under those programmes to third parties.