Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has formally asked the Intellectual Property Office to assess the feasibility of a Secondary Publishing Right.

The Government recognises that publishing research outcomes is vital in sharing knowledge. The different rights and ownership of these will depend on contractual arrangements between researchers, research institutions, and publishers.

The Intellectual Property Office is an Executive Agency of DSIT with responsibility for IP policy. Through the IPO the government monitors the copyright framework to ensure it remains fit for purpose. There are currently no plans to introduce a secondary publishing right.