Publishing Rights - Knowledge Rights 21

"The European level: Need for an EU-wide SPR legislation and a Brussels effect

• In support of the development of a true European Research Area (ERA) and given extensive efforts to promote cross-border research collaboration, the European Commission should propose legislation for a harmonised Secondary Publishing Right at least for all publicly funded research outputs, either on its own as a stand-alone or in the context of a wider package promoting research and/or open science.
• SPRs should ensure:
  • The right/obligation to publish openly is guaranteed, regardless of the contract or transfer agreement
  • A zero-embargo period for maximum societal benefit
  • Access to the Version of Record rather than Author Accepted Manuscripts
  • Cover all publicly funded research, including that taking place in private institutions, from all disciplines
  • Extend to all types of scholarly outputs: periodicals and books, and additional materials like data, audiovisual media and charts
  • Clear rights for end-users who access and reuse these articles
• The European Commission should recommend a secondary publishing right law for accession and European neighbourhood countries, which should be promoted in the context of cooperation with them."