Digital research environments are currently obstructed by two factors which must be dealt with in the political sphere. The first of these factors is the latest amendment to the German copyright law and the second concerns the different rates of value added tax for printed and digital publications.

In the course of a future amendment to the copyright law, the Alliance of German Science Organisations will actively plead the case for Open Access, with the goal, among other things, of securing a basic right for authors to publish their findings in accordance with the idea of providing scientists free access to information.

Moreover, the Alliance of German Science Organisations will advocate that the current distortion of competition between print publication and digital publication be eliminated by equalising the applicable rates of value added tax. It is desirable that, analogous to the print media, digital media should also be granted a reduced rate of value added tax.