SURF and JISC have developed a model contract to help the academic author arrange publication with a publisher. This licence to publish is the result of years of international negotiations and is intended to create a balance between the rights and interests in the quickly-changing world of academic communication. The licence to publish is based on the principle that the results of publicly financed research should be made available to the public as quickly as possible. The author remains owner of the material, and may place it on a website, in a repository or use it as lesson material. If the publisher permits, you may also use the PDF file made by the publisher.

Licence to publish gives the author the following rights:

• The author retains copyright for the academic work.
• The author gives the publisher a licence to publish the academic work.
• The licence is valid as soon as the publisher expresses a desire to publish the work. 
•  The author may also make the article publicly accessible - in the form in which it has been published by the publisher - by putting it at the disposal of a digital academic collection (a repository).
• At the publisher’s request, this public access may be delayed for a maximum of 6 months.

This model contract is especially helpful when publishing articles via the traditional publication process, whereby publications are only available to subscription holders. The contract is available in two languages (Dutch and English) and can also be used for publications with multiple authors. Use of the licence to publish is also supported by the largest English sponsor of academic medical research, The Wellcome Trust.