Via an industry press release, I learn that a new standard for search-engine indexing has just (29 November) been launched, called the Automated Content Access Protocol (ACAP). This standard has been devised by publishers in collaboration with search engines to “revolutionise” (the word used in the press release) the creation, dissemination and use of copyright- and licence-protected content on the internet .

According to the release, ACAP is an open, non-proprietary standard through which publishers, societies, institutions and other content providers can communicate permission for access and use to online intermediaries. ACAP provides a framework that will allow any publisher to express access and use policies in a language that search engines’ robot “spiders” can be taught to understand, hence making more content available to users through search engines. Members of ACAP can be seen here.