Model Licenses
Download the LIBLICENSE Model License Agreement (Revised November 2014)
Download the LIBLICENSE Model License Agreement (Revised November 2014): editable Microsoft Word .docx format
The LIBLICENSE Model License Agreement is part of an ongoing effort to provide timely and responsive information and assistance to librarians involved in licensing and maintaining digital collections. The terms of the initial 200 1 Standard License Agreement (revised through 2008) have now formed the basis for a completely updated revision. In November 2014, this totally revised and recast model license has been posted, after intense, year-long discussions and collaborations with numerous stakeholders; for fuller information, see the press release. We welcome comments — please send to Ann Okerson, Liblicense project director.
The effort was made possible by support from the Center for Research Libraries and with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. As with the initial version, the Council for Library and Information Resources has provided support and encouragement. We thank also our new contributors to this significant effort: the Association of Research Libraries, the California Digital Library, the New England Law Library Consortium, and the Canadian Research Knowledge Network. The hard-working development team, without whom this new version would not have been possible, include: Ivy Anderson (CDL); Julia Blixrud (ARL); Tracy Thompson (NELLCO); Craig Olsvik (CRKN); Christa Williford (CLIR); and Ann Okerson (CRL) as Convener. Extra acknowledgement goes to Lisa Macklin, MLS, JD, Director of the Scholarly Communications Office, Emory University Libraries, for her expert role in developing numerous version of the document. Thanks also to the dozens of individuals who offered comments on the draft in progress. Every comment was studied by the team and served to improve the Model License.
The LIBLICENSE Model License Agreement provides both a template that can be used by university librarians in negotiating particular licensing agreements and, more generally, serves as a statement by the academic library community of what it considers acceptable policy and practice for licensing digital information. It is neither expected nor intended that this Model License Agreement be the last word on contract terms for digital materials. To the contrary, we encourage all members of the academic and publishing communities involved with the distribution of digital materials to comment on, criticize, add to, and subtract from this version. Revised versions reflecting user comments as well as changes in the digital information environment will be posted periodically on this Web site. We will also maintain an archive of all prior drafts.
- LIBLICENSE Standard License Agreement, original version prepared in April 2001
- Short Form (best practices version) of the April 2001 License Agreement
- LIBLICENSE Standard License Agreement, revision of 2008
Additional Model Licenses
- Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA)
- California Digital Library (CDL). “Standard License Agreement” — click on link for “view public version” to download the document.
- Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). Consortial Licensing –Standardized Agreement Language.
- Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN). CRKN Model License Agreement.
- Florida Virtual Library Consortium (FVLC) and select link to file Complete_Florida-Licensing_Guidelines.docx
- Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA)
- JISC (UK): multiple standard licenses presented.
- Library of Congress. Library of Congress Model License (2019).
- LOUIS Licensing Principles
- New England Law Library Consortium (NELLCO), Inc. Standard license agreement.
- NorthEast Research Libraries consortium (NERL) has a standard model license.
- Ontario Colleges Library Service has a new model license as of October 2018 (a press release describes the effort).
- ORBIS Cascade Alliance Principles, then select Licensing Best Practices (PDF)
Last updated: July 15, 2022