Enforcement Task Force

Origin story & evolution

The ETF was created in response to the need amongst STM members for joint and coordinated enforcement activities against massive infringement of copyright in journals and books. Its work started with unauthorised document delivery services and expanded to cases of massive infringement by online platforms.

ETF has focused on novel forms of infringement and expanded its purview to serve as an early warning for cases of international fraud and infringement of other forms of the intellectual property relating to STM Members’ journals and books.

Over time, ETF’s activity has, in addition to litigation, extended to the advocacy of copyright compliance and promoting authorised re-uses of STM material by negotiation in response to specific practices where copyright infringement occurs.

Joint action has proven to be useful to face the growing threat of the unauthorised worldwide and cross-border supply of STM content, whilst at the same time constructively addressing the political aspects of these enforcement activities. In recent years, the ETF has begun to focus more on larger threats in cooperation with like-minded organisations.

The ETF is funded by STM and its publisher members under a triennial budget approved by the STM Board.  

Purpose

The ETF underscores that rights and contract management are core to STM members’ business and the industry.

It provides an industry-led response to new forms of piracy and sensitive or complex copyright cases.

Both litigation and negotiation of necessary authorisations are used as tools for ensuring copyright-compliant re-uses of STM materials.

Protecting rights and identifying risks benefit the entire scientific and academic publishing industry. The ETF helps to establish a level playing field for the supply of content, for instance by clarifying the scope of rights in relation to digital content. It also improves copyright compliance among customers, earns respect for laws by intermediaries and platforms, and adds credibility with legislators.

Operations

• Identifies and evaluates piracy risks, especially online and cross-border infringements;
• Shares information on new developments and acts as a knowledge bank for older cases;
• “Triages” in selecting cases for further action, including investigation and first-stage evidence collection; and
• Takes consensus-based decisions on further action, whether forestalling infringing conduct by licensing solutions in appropriate cases, enforcement action, or initiating case-specific enforcement projects with broader participation beyond ETF members.

The ETF meets on a regular basis to discuss the overall program, investigation results, and strategies and tactics with respect to infringement actions, negotiations, and discussions. 

Current members

• Joe Appel, Massachusetts Medical Society
• Tracey Armstrong, Copyright Clearance Center
• Juliet Binns, Cambridge University Press
• Paul Doda, Elsevier
• Sari Frances, Elsevier
• Sarah Fricker, IOP Publishing
• Douglas Gischlar, IEEE
• Gabriella Groves, Informa
• Guido F. Herrmann, John Wiley & Sons
• Pascal Hetzscholdt, John Wiley & Sons
• Ara Iskanderian, Informa
• Roy Kaufman, Copyright Clearance Center
• Cornelia Manschadi, George Thieme Verlag
• Nesha Naidu, Cambridge University Press
• Jack Ochs, American Chemical Society
• Frank Pepe, IEEE
• Catherine Rowland, Copyright Clearance Center
• Patrick Rus, Springer Nature
• Eric Slater, American Chemical Society
• Molly Stech, STM
• Mark Taylor, Springer Nature
• Tamsin West, Wiley
• Jonathan Wiggins, Elsevier (Chair)