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ALPSP is pleased to announce a collaboration with the UK Publishers Association (PA) on an ALPSP branded version of the PA's Copyright Infringement Portal.

Online criminals target the publishing industry in a number of ways.  The spectrum of offences range from websites offering infringing copies of works to download, through peer-to-peer file sharing of infringing copies, and password bootlegging, to the commercial sale of counterfeit copies of publications.

The industry has growing expertise in tackling each type of threat in an appropriate and effective manner, often by working with commercial partners.  ALPSP is working with the Publishers Association on an anti-piracy service developed by and for the industry.  It offers an array of benefits to publishers and to Trade Associations. 

Benefits of using the Copyright Infringement Portal include:

• It offers an easy and efficient way to generate take-down notices.  Rather than each publisher correctly identifying the relevant internet service provider, drafting an appropriate legal notices, and issuing this to the correct address the portal does each of these steps automatically.
• It offers an easy and efficient way to monitor responses to take-down notices.  A quick glance will let you know whether the take-down has been achieved.  A user-friendly 'traffic light' system of green, amber, and red icons is used throughout the portal.
• The portal provides industry-wide benefits by sharing information about infringements, take-down requests, and responses.  The portal offers real-time intelligence to its users which can enable a very rapid industry-wide response to piracy.  The portal collates intelligence information to inform an array of industry responses including licensing, litigation, and lobbying.

The portal currently issues takedown notices for both copyrights and territorial rights.  Later this year the PA aims to develop the portal to extend its ability to issue notices related to peer-to-peer file sharing.  The PA is also investigating - with a variety of service providers - potential ways of offering an automated detection service to publishers who use the Copyright Infringement Portal.

To use the portal, ALPSP members will need to register and pay on the portal website.  The cost to use the portal depends on the publisher's annual turnover and its affiliation to participating Trade Associations.  List prices are:

Turnover                             Annual licence fee

Up to £1,000,000               £495 + VAT
£1,000,001-£5,000,000     £995 + VAT
£5,000,001-£10,000,000   £1,995+VAT
Over £10,000,000              £2,995 + VAT

The licence fee is for a single user, and additional user licences are available at £495 + VAT per annum.

ALPSP members are entitled to a 50% discount on all of the above list prices thanks to a partnership arrangement between the Associations.

ALPSP Chief Executive Ian Russell said of the arrangement: 'Illegal distribution of scholarly content is rife - I guarantee that every ALPSP publisher member will have content that is being pirated creating a potentially huge negative impact on revenues; it's an issue that the scholarly publishing community just cannot afford to ignore anymore.  The deal with the PA is fantastic news for ALPSP members across the globe who are now able to take advantage of the PA's Copyright Infringement Portal for a substantially discounted fee.  I'd like to thank the PA for being so generous in agreeing to make the portal available to ALPSP members.'

Ian Russell
14 July 2009

Resources:
 
The Publishers Association
ALPSP Advice Notes