---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 09:10:10 -0500
From: Tommy Mitchell <tjmitchell@EBSCO.COM>
Subject: Standardized license agreements

For immediate release                                                   For
More Information Contact:
                                Thomas J. Mitchell

(205) 991�1368
e-mail: tjmitchell@ebsco.com <mailto:tjmitchell@ebsco.com>

Standardized License Agreements Developed to Simplify
Negotiations Between Publishers, Libraries

In partnership with John Cox Associates and four other subscription
agencies, EBSCO Subscription Services is sponsoring the development of a
suite of generic standard licenses for electronic journals. The licenses are
in the public domain and available online at www.licensingmodels.com
<http://www.licensingmodels.com> .

"EBSCO is committed to helping libraries manage the many formats of
information available today and to simplifying management of that
information," said Frank Mapes, vice president and general manager of
Publisher Services for EBSCO. "Electronic journals in particular present a
new set of challenges in information management - negotiating terms,
preparing and reviewing agreements, and ensuring compliance with legal and
university policy. We are pleased with the work that has been put into the
development of these licenses."

The new licenses will reduce the burden on all parties involved by providing
standard agreements which, once approved by the appropriate legal counsels,
will provide a fast and effective method of implementing negotiated terms.
There are four model licenses; all are international in application.
Licenses have been developed for single academic institutions, academic
consortia, public libraries, and corporate, government and other research
libraries. John Cox Associates, an international publishing consultancy
specializing in licensing and content management, developed the licenses
after consultation with a number of librarians, publishers and subscription
agents.

Project Leader John Cox said, "These license models are tools to be used
once the parties - publishers and the libraries - have negotiated the
business terms of the license. They are succinct and flexible and will help
to speed up the process of finalizing the words."

Currently available policy statements and licensing models, including the UK
model developed by the Publishers Association and the Joint Information
Systems Committee of the Higher Education Funding Councils, served as the
principal sources in the development of the new models. The American Library
Association's Principles for Licensing Electronic Resources and the
International Coalition of Library Consortia's Statements of Current
Perspectives, as well as the LIBLICENSE Web site, were also valuable
references.

The new licenses were designed to be flexible and adaptable to account for
the needs of different customers and publishers. Appropriate clauses can be
selected to create a license that complies with both the customer's need and
publisher policy. Initial development of the licenses will be completed by
late summer 1999, and the agreements should be available for the 2000
subscription year.

___________________
Thomas J. Mitchell
EBSCO Information Services
Public Relations and Marketing Manager
(205)991-1368
Fax: (205)995-1636
tjmitchell@ebsco.com