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 supports transparency in AI training
STM has expressed support for Congressional efforts to legislate on AI transparency, with several bills proposed to require AI developers to disclose the use of copyrighted material. The TRAIN Act grants rightsholders the ability to petition courts to subpoena developers to release generative AI training data. The CLEAR Act would require generative AI developers to disclose, available via a…
EU Commission releases report on ERA Act consultation
Following the call for evidence on the ERA Act open between 6 August and 10 September 2025, the EU Commission released a summary of stakeholders’ responses. A fragmented copyright landscape, the lack of standardised metadata and interoperable data infrastructures, inequities arising from APCs, dominance of English in scientific publishing, reliance on commercial publishers and restrictive contractual practices…
STM submitted comments on copyright and AI in India
On 6 February, STM finalised its submission to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in response to the Working Paper on Generative Artificial Intelligence and Copyright, which proposed introducing a statutory licensing scheme for AI. Other global and local publishing organisations, as well as additional rightsholders, also made submissions. STM will…
NSF implements immediate public access requirements
On January 22, NSF announced an immediate update to its public access policies in its Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Effective immediately for new “financial assistance awards,” NSF grant recipients are required to deposit an accepted manuscript to the NSF Public Access Repository (PAR) immediately “at or before the time of publication.” On…