JOINIntellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
IP is protected in law by patent, copyright, and trademark law. These laws enable people to earn recognition and/or financial benefit from what they invent or create.
The IP system aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish by striking a balance between the interests of creators and the public.
Copyright law
Copyright law (sometimes referred to as authors’ rights in continental legal regimes) is a legal discipline that describes the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works.
Works covered by copyright range from books, journals, articles, music, paintings, sculpture, and films, to computer programs, maps, and technical drawings. The selection and arrangement of data may also be eligible for copyright protection.
Copyright law is the mechanism through which publishing houses are able to manage the content they own and license, and the bundle of rights can be divvied to achieve an appropriate balance of protection (e.g., so that publishers can recover their investment), openness (e.g., for public access), and responsible stewardship of the scientific record (e.g., by enabling right holders to pursue legal remedies for pirated and compromised content.
The Latest from STM
STM publishes inclusive meetings guidelines for event chairs and session organisers
STM has published its Event Chair and Session Organiser Guidelines, a practical framework to help those planning and chairing STM events build more inclusive, accessible, and representative programmes from the outset. Developed by STM’s D&I Task & Finish Group, the guidelines cover the full arc of event planning — from assembling diverse planning committees and…
STM thanks Ralph Youngen on his retirement
Ralph Youngen, who spent 27 years at the American Chemical Society, retired last month. STM would like to take this opportunity to thank Ralph for his exceptional contributions to the scholarly publishing community—and to STeC in particular. Ralph has been a steady, vital force in scholarly infrastructure. As co-founder and chair of GetFTR, and as STeC chair, he brought the same qualities to…
China–Australia Academic Publishing Exchange Seminar 19-23 Apr 2026
Last month, the Australian Publishers Association co-hosted the Australia–China Scholarly & Journals Publishing Roundtable in Melbourne, in partnership with the Society of China University Journals (CUJS) and supported by STM. The roundtable brought together colleagues from across Australia and China’s scholarly publishing sectors for a productive morning of discussion on research integrity, translation, the implications…
STM/NISTEP Lecture Series: “Behind the Scenes in Research Integrity” — 19 May, 16:00 JST
The latest in the STM/NISTEP Lecture Series brings together three senior publishing professionals to discuss how publishing workflows safeguard research integrity — covering peer review management, editorial decision-making, plagiarism and data checks, author identification, and compliance with ethical and funder requirements. Speakers: Mike Streeter (Wiley), Angela Hunter (ACS), and Mike Nobel (Wolters Kluwer Health). Moderated…