diff --git a/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseAddPatchOperation.java b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseAddPatchOperation.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fc1d12be47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseAddPatchOperation.java
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/**
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the license and copyright
+ * detailed in the LICENSE and NOTICE files at the root of the source
+ * tree and available online at
+ *
+ * http://www.dspace.org/license/
+ */
+package org.dspace.app.rest.submit.factory.impl;
+
+import org.dspace.content.Item;
+import org.dspace.content.LicenseUtils;
+import org.dspace.content.WorkspaceItem;
+import org.dspace.content.service.ItemService;
+import org.dspace.core.Context;
+import org.dspace.eperson.EPerson;
+import org.dspace.services.model.Request;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+
+/**
+ * Submission "add" PATCH operation
+ * 
+ * To accept a license the timestamp of the acceptance the client must send a
+ * JSON Patch ADD operation as follow. 
+ * 
+ * Example: <code>
+ * curl -X PATCH http://${dspace.url}/api/submission/workspaceitems/<:id-workspaceitem> -H "
+ * Content-Type: application/json" -d '[{ "op": "add", "path": "
+ * /sections/license/acceptanceDate", "value": "2017-11-20T10:32:42Z"}]'
+ * </code>
+ * 
+ * Please note that according to the JSON Patch specification RFC6902 a
+ * subsequent add operation on the acceptanceDate will have the effect to
+ * replace the previous granted license with a new one.
+ * 
+ * 
+ * @author Luigi Andrea Pascarelli (luigiandrea.pascarelli at 4science.it)
+ *
+ */
+public class LicenseAddPatchOperation extends AddPatchOperation<String> {
+
+	@Autowired
+	ItemService itemService;
+
+	@Override
+	protected Class<String[]> getArrayClassForEvaluation() {
+		return String[].class;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	protected Class<String> getClassForEvaluation() {
+		return String.class;
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	void add(Context context, Request currentRequest, WorkspaceItem source, String string, Object value)
+			throws Exception {
+		Item item = source.getItem();
+		EPerson submitter = context.getCurrentUser();
+
+		// remove any existing DSpace license (just in case the user
+		// accepted it previously)
+		itemService.removeDSpaceLicense(context, item);
+
+		String license = LicenseUtils.getLicenseText(context.getCurrentLocale(), source.getCollection(), item,
+				submitter);
+
+		LicenseUtils.grantLicense(context, item, license, (String) value);
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseRemovePatchOperation.java b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseRemovePatchOperation.java
index 2d99309706..dda15f35e7 100644
--- a/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseRemovePatchOperation.java
+++ b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseRemovePatchOperation.java
@@ -15,7 +15,15 @@ import org.dspace.services.model.Request;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 
 /**
- * Submission License "remove" patch operation
+ * Submission License "remove" patch operation.
+ * 
+ * To remove a previous granted license:
+ * 
+ * Example: <code>
+ * curl -X PATCH http://${dspace.url}/api/submission/workspaceitems/<:id-workspaceitem> -H "
+ * Content-Type: application/json" -d '[{ "op": "remove", "path": "
+ * /sections/license/acceptanceDate"}]'
+ * </code>
  * 
  * @author Luigi Andrea Pascarelli (luigiandrea.pascarelli at 4science.it)
  *
diff --git a/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseReplacePatchOperation.java b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseReplacePatchOperation.java
index fb056c12a7..78dc2747f2 100644
--- a/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseReplacePatchOperation.java
+++ b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/LicenseReplacePatchOperation.java
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
  */
 package org.dspace.app.rest.submit.factory.impl;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.dspace.content.Bundle;
 import org.dspace.content.Item;
 import org.dspace.content.LicenseUtils;
 import org.dspace.content.WorkspaceItem;
@@ -15,10 +18,15 @@ import org.dspace.core.Context;
 import org.dspace.eperson.EPerson;
 import org.dspace.services.model.Request;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 /**
  * Submission "replace" patch operation
  * 
+ * The replace operation allows to replace existent information with new one.
+ * Attempt to use the replace operation without a previous accepted license must
+ * return an error.
+ * 
  * @author Luigi Andrea Pascarelli (luigiandrea.pascarelli at 4science.it)
  *
  */
@@ -26,10 +34,14 @@ public class LicenseReplacePatchOperation extends ReplacePatchOperation<String>
 
 	@Autowired
 	ItemService itemService;
-	
+
 	@Override
-	void replace(Context context, Request currentRequest, WorkspaceItem source, String string, Object value) throws Exception {
+	void replace(Context context, Request currentRequest, WorkspaceItem source, String string, Object value)
+			throws Exception {
 		Item item = source.getItem();
+		List<Bundle> bunds = itemService.getBundles(item, "LICENSE");
+		Assert.notEmpty(bunds);
+
 		EPerson submitter = context.getCurrentUser();
 
 		// remove any existing DSpace license (just in case the user
@@ -38,10 +50,9 @@ public class LicenseReplacePatchOperation extends ReplacePatchOperation<String>
 
 		String license = LicenseUtils.getLicenseText(context.getCurrentLocale(), source.getCollection(), item,
 				submitter);
-		
-		LicenseUtils.grantLicense(context, item, license, (String)value);
-	}
 
+		LicenseUtils.grantLicense(context, item, license, (String) value);
+	}
 
 	@Override
 	protected Class<String[]> getArrayClassForEvaluation() {
@@ -53,5 +64,4 @@ public class LicenseReplacePatchOperation extends ReplacePatchOperation<String>
 		return String.class;
 	}
 
-
 }