The OpenAccess inititative "Digital Peer Publishing NRW" (DIPP) was founded by the Departement of Science and Research Northrhine-Westphalia to support development and innovation of scientific information management in the digital age. A number of E-Journals from various academic disciplines are published under this umbrella.
All of those E-Journals are based on the “Digital Peer Publishing License” that was developed in collaboration with ifrOSS. Three different license modules are offered that each perform a grant of rights free of charge:
The basic license module (DPPL) that also is available in English provides that everybody can read and distribute unchanged electronic copies of the documents licensed under it and offer them as a download. Because it is only allowed to distribute the documents electronically, the rights to use the documents in printed form or on electronic media stays with the author. This enables the author to grant exclusive rights for the material distribution of copies of his works (in books, journals etc.) to a third party such as a publisher. The additional modules – the “modular DPPL” and the “free DPPL” - also allow the licensee to modify the documents under the license. The modular DPPL in this regard only allows for modifications in parts approved by the author. For example it is possible to grant modifications of an image but exclude modifications to an accompanying text. The free DPPL grants a right to modify the whole document.
The DIPP initiative also provides for an extensive FAQ section alongside the licenses, which was also created by members of ifrOSS. This FAQ deals with the following topics:
- General questions about the DIPP-licenses
- Publication of works under DIPP-licenses
- Formation and termination in case of a DIPP-license
- Rights and obligations under the DIPP-licenses
- Warranty and liability
- Modification of licensed works
- New license versions
- Breach of the license