The initiative 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.

Tom West, Chief Executive, PLS, said: “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.”

Saj Merali, CEO, PPA, commented: “Good journalism and specialist content don’t just happen. They take time, investment, expertise, and fact-checking. As AI tools increasingly pull in and summarise this content, often away from publisher websites and behind paywalls, commercial models are impacted, and it’s more than just clicks and subscriptions. It also impacts the audience insight and data that publishers rely on to keep producing high-quality work.

PPA members represent trusted editorial brands from large international media companies to small, independent publishers, and many simply don’t have the scale needed to influence the deal room. That’s where collective licensing makes sense. It gives publishers strength in numbers and a practical way to make sure their content is used legally, transparently and is compensated properly.

And this isn’t just about revenue. It’s about protecting editorial standards and making sure the information feeding AI systems is accurate, responsibly sourced and created to the highest possible standards.”

Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) is a non-profit, government-regulated organisation, owned and operated by the PPA, the Publishers Association, the Independent Publishers Guild, and the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers. 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.

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.

Find out more here.