Intellectual Property

The Intellectual Property Committee (IPC) IPC maintains a global watching brief over new or strategic issues that involve an element of IP, legal challenge, or legislative intent, and which impact on the activities of STM publishers in the advancement of science. We look to alert STM members to strategic risk and opportunity, and to deliver advice and enable advocacy through evolving positions, principles, submissions, and sample licences. We track and engage with specific cases and legislative challenges, looking for best outcomes that strike a balance between risk and business opportunity, and to position STM as a trusted partner.

Permission guidelines

Publisher members of STM may become signatories to the STM Permissions Guidelines, which provide a streamlined procedure for permissions between signatories to use extracts from copyright works.  The majority of the STM Signatories partner with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to implement RightsLink®, an automated permissions solution on their websites directly from the point of content.

A revised edition of the STM Permission Guidelines is now available to download by all STM members.

Download the 2020 version of the Permission Guidelines (2020 version).