Many Wiley authors are familiar with the ease and convenience of RightsLink for clearing permission to republish figures, tables or extracts of published content in new articles and books they are working on. Thousands of authors a year also download free licenses for reuse of their own work in new publications, theses and dissertations, training and presentation materials, etc. RightsLink is owned by the Copyright Clearance Centre in the US and is accessible directly from the point of content on Wiley Online Library (more information here)

Now, two *NEW* transactional permissions services have been launched in UK and Australia. These services enable authors to choose which service suits them best. Both have local currency options and customer service in the most convenient time zones for locally based authors.

Jonathan Griffin, Head of Digital Services at the Publishers’ Licensing Society in London and Sharon Khin, Business and Product Development Manager, at Copyright Agency, Sydney filled us in on the benefits of their respective services, PLS Clear and Rights Portal Journals for Wiley authors:

Q. Why did you decide to launch this new service?

Sharon Khin: The Copyright Agency launched RightsPortal Journals to make copyright licensing easier and more efficient in the Australia and the Asia Pacific region. As the collecting society for literary works in Australia, Copyright Agency is well placed to offer this service with the right knowledge and expertise in Copyright.

Jonathan Griffin: We launched PLSclear, our permissions service, in response to requests from various stakeholders in the UK, including publishers and authors. We were also responding to a government report, known as the Hargreaves Review, which recommended the creation of digital copyright exchanges to streamline licensing processes.

Q. What are the main benefits for Wiley authors in using this service?

SK: Wiley authors can easily clear permission to republish content in new articles and books they are working on via RightsPortal Journals. A copyright license can be obtained instantaneously in many cases and where needed a local helpdesk based in Sydney is on hand to assist with any queries. Wiley authors in Australia can transact in Australian currency and authors in the Asia Pacific region can benefit from using the service in a similar local time zone.

JG: PLSclear was launched 18 months ago so is a tried and tested way for authors to secure permission quickly. It helps in the following ways:

1. You can reliably identify the current rights holder using our unique database
2. The interactive permissions form guides you through the process of making requests quickly, and ensures you get the right information to the rights holder first time around
3. The system enables you to reuse project information, so you don't have to waste time
4. In a growing number of instances you get an immediate automated response, rather than having to wait weeks or months for the publisher to get back to you
5. You have your own "request manager" which stores details of your requests and licences, making it easy to share them with your publisher.

Q. How can Wiley authors access and use this service?

SK: RightsPortal Journals can be accessed here. You simply identify the journal content you would like to republish and complete the user selections form. In many cases a copyright license can be obtained straight away or if further review is needed, the request will be passed onto the publisher and you will be notified once the request has been reviewed. Further details on RightsPortal Journals are available here.

JG: PLSclear can be accessed from www.plsclear.com or from many publishers "contact us" or licensing pages. Wiley has a link here.

Q. Do you have plans to expand and grow this service?

SK: Yes, we plan to add more publisher works to RightsPortal Journals (currently included are Wiley, Wolters Kluwer and Elsevier journals) as well as the ability to transact in different currencies in the Asia Pacific region.

JG: Our aim is to make requesting permission as quick and easy as possible. We are thus working to further increase the number of titles that have predefined automation settings. These settings mean that authors receive licenses immediately, rather than having to wait and chase for responses.

What has your experience of clearing permissions for publication been like? Let us know in the comments below.

Image Credit: Sharon Khin & Jonathan Griffin