HISTORY OF PDLN

In the last decade, newspaper publishers in a number of European countries have founded industry wide companies in order to offer digital articles according to their respective national copyright laws. A different range of services have been established, including online databases which provide up-to-date content in a variety of downloadable formats or the opportunity to obtain licenses for self-digitization (scanning) of articles.

With the aim of discussing how these different companies could work together to offer an international portfolio, a first conference was held in London in November 2007, hosted by NLA. The meeting was themed “Newspaper Managed Databases - European Developments, European Cooperation”. Invited by NLA (UK) and PMG (Germany), members of 12 different organizations from 9 European countries got together to introduce their organizations and to discuss possible ways of cooperation.

The delegates agreed to meet again in April 2008 in Berlin, hosted by PMG. Several new interested parties were invited with 17 different companies from 12 different countries taking part. The motto of the conference was: “Setting up an international framework - How we can build the future?”

As a result of the Berlin conference it was decided unanimously that a formal international association of publisher managed databases and licensing companies should be founded.

During the third meeting in Brussels in November 2008, which was hosted by Copiepresse (Belgium), 13 companies from 10 different countries founded the Press Database Licensing Network (PDLN). Dr Peter Horvath of PMG was elected president; Andrew Hughes of NLA became vice president.

All members and observers of the newly formed body committed themselves to protect and to promote the interests of publishers and to offer a comprehensive service to all industry participants - users, intermediaries and publishers.