Publishers' Licensing Services
Publishers' Licensing Services (PLS) has provided rights and licensing services to the publishing industry since 1981.
A non-profit collective management organisation, owned and directed by ALPSP and three other UK publishing trade associations, PLS’ primary role is to maximise the value of published content, enable its legitimate re-use, and protect copyright through effective collective licensing, permissions and rights management services.
In 2023-2024 PLS collected and distributed more than £43 million to over 4,500 publishers.
Collective Licensing
PLS’ core purpose is to oversee collective licensing for the reuse of extracts of book, journal, magazine and website content across the public and private sectors.
Find out how collective licensing could benefit you.
PLSclear
Beyond collective licensing, PLS provides a range of rights management services including PLSclear, their award-winning tool to request and grant permission to use extracts of content, and promote the value of copyright and UK publishers’ world-class contributions.
Rights & Licensing Hub
PLS provides extensive resources to help publishers improve the ways they manage the rights that they hold. A free online training course, professional guidance, case studies, career tips and much more are available at the Rights & Licensing Hub.
Access to Research
The Access to Research service provides free and easy access to millions of academic articles via the UK’s public library network.
Explore the PLS website to discover more about these services.
ALPSP is represented in the following industry initiatives
C4Disc | Heather Staines | Delta Think |
Joint Committee on Legal Deposit (JCLD) | Duncan Campbell | Copyright Clearance Center |
Think. Check. Submit | Suzanne Abbott | Elsevier |
NISO TRANSFER committee | Sophia Anderton | BJUI |