PLS offers new collective AI licensing opportunity to publishers

PLS, CEO

Publishers are invited to opt in to a new collective licensing scheme to ensure work is used fairly and lawfully by rapidly developing generative AI industry.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, March 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS), the non-profit, government-regulated organisation, announced this week at the London Book Fair the launch of the first stage of an industry-led collective licensing initiative, designed to ensure the use of published work by AI companies in generative AI is both fair and lawful.

The first phase of the initiative invites publishers to opt-in to a collective licence scheme, which has been developed along with the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS). The licence along with an online content store will enable AI companies to legally access and use published works in exchange for a licence fee, under clear and transparent usage guidelines.

The pioneering scheme will provide publishers with access to the evolving licensing market for AI and will provide a practical, scalable solution to the continuing unauthorised use of published works by AI companies. As the use of copyrighted material in AI systems continues to expand, publishers are seeking practical routes to ensure their content is used lawfully and is fairly valued. Joining together as an industry in support of a collective licensing solution will give publishers small and large the opportunity to safeguard and monetise their work.

PLS is owned and directed by the Publishers Association, the Independent Publishers Guild, Professional Publishers Association and Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers and over the coming months, these industry associations will be working with PLS to encourage participation from publishers in the UK and internationally. After PLS consulted extensively with publishers last year, London Book Fair marks a significant step towards the full launch of this industry-changing initiative.

The initiative builds on the UK’s established voluntary collective licensing model, extending a trusted and proven framework to address generative AI. It is designed to operate alongside direct agreements between publishers and AI companies, providing an additional route for publishers of all sizes to participate in and benefit from AI-related uses of their content.

Tom West, Chief Executive of PLS, says: “The London Book Fair provides an important opportunity for the industry to come together and consider how established collective licensing models can be extended to this new context.

“The pace of change is rapid, and publishers must remain active participants in shaping how their content is used. This first stage is about engagement and collaboration. By opting in, publishers will be part of collective approach that aims to ensure content use in AI models is lawful and fairly remunerated.”

PLS emphasises that publisher participation will be crucial to shape the next phase of the framework. Following opt-in, PLS will work with its licensing body, the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), to engage directly with AI developers and embed the licensing framework within the technology sector.

PLS invited publishers to visit their stand at the London Book Fair to learn more about the opt-in process and how collective licensing can support publishers in managing AI-driven uses of their published works. For more information, visit www.pls.org.uk.

ENDS

Notes to editors
For further information, please contact Cherish PR:
T: 07513 721 611 E: pls@thewilful.com

About Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS)
Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) is a non-profit, government-regulated collective management organisation, established in 1981 by publishers, for publishers.

Owned and directed by the UK’s main publishing trade associations, PLS represents over 4,500 publishers and works to maximise the value of published content, enable its legitimate reuse, and protect copyright through effective collective licensing, permissions and rights management services.

UK voluntary collective licensing is a long-established and proven framework that has evolved to respond to technological change, from photocopying to digital reuse and now generative AI. In 2024–25, PLS returned £48 million to publishers in collective licensing and permissions revenue.

Since its establishment, PLS has distributed close to £1 billion directly to publishers’ bottom lines, supporting investment in trusted, high-quality content across the UK publishing sector.

Pete Connell
Cherish PR
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