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
VIEW ALL NEWSObituary: Dr. Einar Fredriksson
On behalf of the family of Einar Fredriksson, IOS Press, and Sage, it is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Dr. Einar Fredriksson passed away unexpectedly on April 30, 2025, at the age of 82. Einar started his publishing career at North-Holland Publishing Company and subsequently Elsevier, where he worked with great dedication for 17…
STM Integrity Hub expands with Springer Nature’s AI-Powered Text Detection Tool
STM is proud to welcome the integration of a proprietary AI tool donated by Springer Nature into the STM Integrity Hub. Originally developed to identify AI-generated nonsense text in research manuscripts, this tool has been successfully used across Springer Nature’s journals and books. Its donation marks a significant step forward in collective efforts to uphold…
STM files amicus brief in DMCA Case
STM has filed an amicus brief in Doe v. GitHub before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, supporting rightsholders alongside the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers, and the News/Media Alliance. The brief argues that the district court misapplied Section 1202 of the DMCA by requiring that infringed works be “identical” to original…
STM defends copyright in AI case
STM has filed an amicus brief supporting authors in the Kadrey v. Meta litigation, which challenges Meta’s use of copyrighted works to train its generative AI systems. The brief underscores that Meta knowingly copied and distributed large volumes of copyrighted content sourced from notorious piracy websites—including Z-Library, Libgen, Sci-Hub, and others—that have been repeatedly shut…