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 NEWSSpotlight on accessibility: a conversation with Simon Holt ahead of the STM US Conference
As we count down to the STM Annual US Conference, we’re highlighting some of the expert voices shaping the conversations at this year’s event. One such voice is Simon Holt, Head of Content Accessibility at Elsevier, who brings deep insight into the evolving landscape of accessible publishing. Simon will be part of the panel “Accelerating…
Take a look at how China’s scientific publishing ecosystem is evolving
Last year, the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) released phase II of their Excellence Action Plan (EAP) for scientific, technical and medical journals. Shuai Yan and Mark Robertson of STM, with colleagues from the Society of China University Journals and Science China Press, have prepared a report to get you up to speed…
Continuing Resolution cuts grants, limits funding, promises more chaos
The US narrowly averted a government shutdown this weekend with a Continuing Resolution (CR) that funds the government for the rest of the fiscal year (through 30 September 2025). While CR legislation generally keeps funding flat, the bill includes several provisions that eliminate grants and provide more authority to the administration to carry out additional…
Federal funding crisis upends US research ecosystem
The Trump administration has continued its attack on the federal workforce and is proposing sweeping changes to federal science funding, creating significant disruptions across the US research ecosystem that will impact scholarly publishing. Since our last newsletter, the administration has, amongst other things: Continued staff firings across the government Announced plans to cancel hundreds of…