Over 250 publishers opt-in to collective AI licensing ahead of industry conference addressing AI & copyright
Publishers join forces in licensing content for fair use by AI platforms.
Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) today announces that over 250 publishers have opted in to its pioneering collective AI licensing scheme, launched earlier this year at London Book Fair.
The announcement, which comes just ahead of the annual PLS Conference to be held in London on 2nd July, shows strong industry support for an opt-in collective licensing scheme that gives publishers small and large the opportunity to safeguard and monetise their work in generative AI.
As experts from across publishing, copyright and licensing gather to discuss the threats and opportunities posed by AI, the industry is now a significant step closer to offering a licence and online content store for AI companies to legally access and use published works in exchange for a licence fee, under clear and transparent usage guidelines.
Firmly established in the publishing calendar, the 2026 PLS Conference programme features keynote speaker Baroness Thangam Debbonaire along with speakers and contributors from organisations including the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG), the Publishers Association, the Professional Publishers Association (PPA), the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA).
Two publishers who have opted-in to the new scheme are Practical Action Publishing and 5m Books. Practical Action Publishing, which is an independent specialist publisher and publishing arm of the international development charity Practical Action, say that the new scheme allows helps build a sustainable relationship between publishing and AI. Rosanna Denning Marketing Manager at Practical Action Publishing comments: “We welcome the opportunity to participate in a collective licensing solution that helps ensure publishers are recognised and rewarded when their content is used for AI training. We see the Generative AI Training Licence programme as an important step towards building a sustainable and transparent relationship between the publishing and AI sector, that will give publishers a voice in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. It will provide a practical route for enabling innovation while recognising the value and integrity of trusted published content.”
Independent specialists in animal health, 5m Books believes the same is true of specialist trade and technical publishers. Managing Director Jeremy Toynbee says: “We are delighted to be partnering with PLS in the emerging field of AI licensing. We appreciate the expertise PLS bring in helping us to understand and navigate a new business dynamic and feel confident that through PLS’ guidance we can make informed decisions that will bring long term benefits which help develop our business while protecting our content.”
The collective licence scheme, which has been developed with the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), has been designed to support publishers like Practical Action Publishing and 5m Books who may be unable to secure direct licensing agreements with AI developers by providing them with an optional alternative route to market, backed by both publishers and authors, that allows them to licence their content for generative AI.
Tom West, Chief Executive of PLS, comments: “As the publishing industry continues to navigate rapid developments in AI, the need for a collective licence solution that complements the ever-growing direct licensing market has never been greater. We are pleased with the positive response from the industry and welcome the publishers who have opted in over the past two months.”
He continues: “But there is more to be done, and we hope that our upcoming conference will galvanise the industry to continue its support for a collective AI licence. Together, we can ensure that publishers of all sizes and specialisms can realise the opportunity that AI can bring.”
