NASA has a charter to publish information and to protect the intellectual property of the owners. This approval policy for NASA Ames' Aerospace Directorate WWW material is based on the policy for printed material. Please refer to the following references for details:
In general, material may be published on the WWW as a consequence of NASA sponsorship after approval at the Division Supervisor level. Material judged appropriate and approved will be specifically designated as such by the signature and date of the Division Supervisor on a NASA Form 427 and the acknowledgment of that approval on each Branch Home Page. Material may only be published within/under the Aerospace Directorate, Division/Office, and Branch Home Pages. This publication policy for the Directorate must be referenced on all Aerospace Directorate, Division/Office, and Branch Home Pages. Any changes to the Home Page, other than simple updates such as telephone number changes or additional listed publications, must be re-authorized at the Division level. It is therefore recommended that Home Pages are modified only periodically, as blocks of changes, rather than in continuous evolution, to reduce the number of successive approvals.
Appropriate material for WWW publication is deemed to be descriptions of NASA projects, processes, research, organizations, missions, and personnel professional biographical information, including complete references and their abstracts. Demonstrations or other interactive mechanisms for information transfer are permitted, but must be carefully implemented to avoid misuse.
Material that is NOT permitted includes personal information; proprietary, sensitive, National defense, or otherwise legally restricted information; software distribution; anything not directly related to the Home Page's branch. Copyrighted material must have a written release from the owner prior to publication and be so marked. Trademarks must also be acknowledged. Excerpts of proprietary information that is used to describe it should be carefully reviewed by the legal office for compliance regarding property rights. Use caution where clearly marked confidential information from outside parties (contractors, business partners, etc.) is indirectly involved.
In the case of links within the published material to non-NASA references, the Division Chief signature and date attests to a review and compliance with the general policy for appropriate material and protecting information. In this case, a reasonable judgment must be made that the links to outside organizations/ people are professional and appropriate to the NASA mission. Specific guidance on the relevance to the NASA mission can be found in the personnel Position Descriptions and Performance Plans of employees and supervisors. Form 427 provides a checklist attesting to review and approval of the proposed WWW material.