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
Statement on dismissal of Uddin v. Elsevier BV (E.D.N.Y.)
On January 30, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed the antitrust lawsuit in Uddin v. Elsevier BV. Following the court’s decision, we are providing the statement below. Statement: We respect the court’s decision, which is consistent with our position throughout. Our focus, and that of our members, remains…
CLA welcomes new CEO
The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) shared that Simon Hutson has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of CLA. With over 20 years of experience across publishing, media and technology, including leadership roles at the BBC, Reuters and Cision, Hutson brings a powerful blend of commercial insight, strategic innovation and a deep commitment to creators and publishers. Read…
In the media | The Scholarly Kitchen: “Call for Feedback: STM Task & Finish Group (TFG) Image-type Taxonomy for Alt Text”
“The STM Association Alt Text Task & Finish Group (TFG) is excited to share its draft image-type taxonomy for scholarly images for comment and feedback. This taxonomy is a collaborative effort by members of the STM Association to develop a comprehensive classification system for images in scholarly publishing. In part, it is intended to assist authors…
Global Reporting Standard for AI Disclosure in Research: first consultation is open
Transparency about the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research articles and other scholarly outputs is an important aspect of research integrity. At present, practices for how to disclose AI use vary widely across disciplines, regions, and publication cultures. To address this issue, STM has released a report “Recommendations for a Classification of AI…