IP4OS brings together a multi-professional team of researchers, legal experts and innovation specialists working across Europe. By combining diverse expertise, it supports better management of intellectual property in open science and helps maximise the impact of research.

The six professions that make up the IP4OS multi-professional teams are: 

• Librarian

• KTT- Knowledge Technology Transfer Professional

• Data Steward 

• Open Science Ambassador

• Researcher 

• Research Manager 

A new video, “IP & OS - Managing Copyright and Licensing for Reuse”, has been published as part of the IP4OS Profession Deepening Module series, highlighting how library professionals support researchers to make informed decisions that balance Open Science practices with commercialisation to maximise social and economic impact. The video emphasises the key role of librarians in guiding researchers through scholarly communication, promoting responsible data management and licensing, and supporting Open Access through measures such as the Secondary Publishing Rights. In it, three European librarians share their working realities:

1. Alex Felon from the University of Birmingham gives a practical example of the key role of communication in navigating the research landscape. He presents actionable advice to help researchers balance the expectations of funders, open science policies and the potential for commercialisation. 

2. Chris Morrison from the Bodleian Libraries, part of the University of Oxford, talks about opening up space for conversations across institutions, sharing how collaboration provides guidance and supports researchers on how to manage and preserve their data in the most appropriate way. While working through the practical, legal and ethical questions, librarians promote efficiency and consistency. 

3. Inge Van Nieuwerburgh from Ghent University provides a better understanding of secondary publication rights, which guarantee the possibility to publish publicly funded research in repositories, making it free for both the reader and the author. Universities collaborate on a common legal interpretation to promote openness, but a unified European standard is still needed for fair and consistent access. 

Together with the accompanying exercise, the first video of the series serves as a valuable resource for European library staff, broadening the perspective on the working reality of librarians in the context of Intellectual Property, Open Science, and Knowledge Valorisation. After watching it, we recommend engaging with the short exercise to deepen your knowledge. But first, watch the deepening video here!