Licensing

RPMS is developed by employees of the U.S. federal government and is in the public domain. It is freely available for use, study, and redistribution.

Public Domain Status

Works created by employees of the United States Government within the scope of their employment are not subject to domestic copyright protection under U.S. law. This means RPMS — including its core packages, documentation, and source code — is in the public domain.

The legal basis is 17 U.S.C. § 105:

"Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government."
usa.gov/government-works — Official plain-language explanation → 17 U.S.C. § 105 — Full statutory text → U.S. Copyright Office — Works of the U.S. Government →

Shared Infrastructure with VistA

RPMS shares core infrastructure packages with the VA's VistA system, all of which carry the same public domain status:

  • VA FileMan — database management layer
  • VA Kernel — operating system abstraction layer
  • VA MailMan — messaging infrastructure

These packages were jointly developed by IHS and VA developers and have been distributed via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests since the 1990s.

Restricted Components

A small number of packages are marked as restricted distribution (**) in the certified applications list. These are withheld from public release for one of two reasons:

Third-party intellectual property

The CPT File (ACPT) incorporates Current Procedural Terminology codes owned by the American Medical Association. CPT codes are commercial data developed at private expense and require a separate AMA license. IHS facilities must obtain their own AMA CPT license independently.

Sensitive regulated content

The Controlled Drug Export System (BPDM) and similar packages are withheld due to DEA and controlled substance regulatory considerations, not commercial IP restrictions.

Database Runtime

RPMS runs on the MUMPS/M programming language and requires a compatible database runtime. The runtime itself is separate from the public domain RPMS code:

  • InterSystems IRIS / Caché — proprietary, requires a commercial license
  • YottaDB — open source alternative, AGPL licensed
  • GT.M — open source alternative, AGPL licensed

Obtaining RPMS Source Code

RPMS source code and certified packages are available directly from IHS:

IHS RPMS Applications — official package distribution → IHS RPMS FTP distribution directory →

A FOIA request may be used to obtain any package not publicly listed. Contact IHS at itsupport@ihs.gov for application support.