StreetLib at BolognaBookPlus: AI, TDM, and the Future of Publishing

Andrea Camillo -

On April 1, 2025, we had the pleasure of participating in the AI Summit at BolognaBookPlus, organized by Shimmr AI. We’re grateful for the invitation and the opportunity to be part of a conversation that brought together leaders from publishing and tech to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the publishing industry.

Protecting Content in the Age of AI

Our CEO, Giacomo D’Angelo, spoke on a panel with Giulia Marangoni from the Italian Publishers Association (AIE). Ed Nawotka from Publishers Weekly moderated the discussion. Together, they tackled two key questions:

  • How can publishers protect their content from unauthorized Text and Data Mining (TDM)?
  • How can they benefit from new opportunities in AI licensing?

The panel began with a clear explanation of TDM and the differences in legal frameworks between Europe and the US. They also highlighted tools like ONIX by EDItEUR and TDMRep by W3C, which help publishers to opt-out from unwanted data mining. Despite these advanced solutions, today’s leading AI models largely ignore these standards—a serious gap that needs attention.

From Training to Inference: A New Chapter for Publishing

Giacomo explained how large language models (LLMs) operate, drawing a clear distinction between the training phase and the inference phase. While most legal concerns have focused on training, he argued that inference—how AI uses content in real time—holds greater potential for publishers.

He proposed a forward-looking approach: what if publishers could license content for inference the same way they do with streaming or subscription models? AI companies could pay to access content per token or query, using a specialized distribution platform with smart APIs and accurate content-matching tools.

This model wouldn’t just help big publishers and AI companies. It could also work for independent publishers, universities, researchers, and developers. It’s a way to open access, support innovation, and still protect rights.

Industry Insight and Inspiration

The panel ended with a vibrant Q&A. One of the most inspiring moments came from Chantal Restivo-Alessi, Chief Digital Officer at HarperCollins, who talked about one of the first major AI licensing deals in the publishing world.

We were proud to be part of this timely discussion and to share our vision for AI in publishing. Thanks again to Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Shimmr AI for organizing such a meaningful event.

📷 Image: Carlo Carrenho