Publishing Negotiations: Crucial Agreement Reached with Elsevier

After intense negotiations with Elsevier and several months without a contract, the negotiation delegation from external page swissuniversities, which includes Rafael Ball as the Director of the ETH Library, has achieved a contractual agreement.  

In addition to publishing in Elsevier’s journal portfolio, the contract, which retroactively takes effect from January 1, 2024, now also includes unlimited publishing in the prestigious journals of “Cell Press” and “The Lancet.” Furthermore, the agreement provides reading access to all Elsevier journals and permanent access rights. 

For the first time, the agreement explicitly regulates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and guarantees maximum freedom in utilizing AI tools for research and teaching. Additional information regarding the use of licensed content in AI tools will be provided soon by the ETH Library. 

The signing of this contract represents a significant achievement. Not only does it allow unlimited publishing in premium journals, but it also ensures unrestricted reading access. Ultimately, the ETH Library has made a substantial contribution to research and education in Switzerland.