diff --git a/dnet-dedup-test/pom.xml.releaseBackup b/dnet-dedup-test/pom.xml.releaseBackup
deleted file mode 100644
index 1e017bd..0000000
--- a/dnet-dedup-test/pom.xml.releaseBackup
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,149 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
-
-    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
-
-    <parent>
-        <groupId>eu.dnetlib</groupId>
-        <artifactId>dnet-dedup</artifactId>
-        <version>4.0.2-SNAPSHOT</version>
-        <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
-    </parent>
-
-    <artifactId>dnet-dedup-test</artifactId>
-    <packaging>jar</packaging>
-
-    <build>
-        <plugins>
-<!--            <plugin>-->
-<!--                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>-->
-<!--                <artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>-->
-<!--                <version>2.4.3</version>-->
-<!--                <executions>-->
-<!--                    <execution>-->
-<!--                        <phase>package</phase>-->
-<!--                        <goals>-->
-<!--                            <goal>shade</goal>-->
-<!--                        </goals>-->
-<!--                        <configuration>-->
-<!--                            <filters>-->
-<!--                                <filter>-->
-<!--                                    <artifact>*:*</artifact>-->
-<!--                                    <excludes>-->
-<!--                                        <exclude>META-INF/*.SF</exclude>-->
-<!--                                        <exclude>META-INF/*.DSA</exclude>-->
-<!--                                        <exclude>META-INF/*.RSA</exclude>-->
-<!--                                    </excludes>-->
-<!--                                </filter>-->
-<!--                            </filters>-->
-<!--                        </configuration>-->
-<!--                    </execution>-->
-<!--                </executions>-->
-<!--            </plugin>-->
-
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>2.7</version>
-                <configuration>
-                    <skip>true</skip>
-                </configuration>
-            </plugin>
-
-
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-                <configuration>
-                    <source>1.8</source>
-                    <target>1.8</target>
-                    <includes>
-                        <include>**/*.java</include>
-                    </includes>
-                    <!--<includes>-->
-                        <!--<include>src/main/java/**/*.java</include>-->
-                        <!--<include>src/main/java/**/*.scala</include>-->
-                    <!--</includes>-->
-                </configuration>
-            </plugin>
-
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>net.alchim31.maven</groupId>
-                <artifactId>scala-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>4.0.1</version>
-                <!--<executions>-->
-                    <!--<execution>-->
-                        <!--<goals>-->
-                            <!--<goal>compile</goal>-->
-                            <!--<goal>testCompile</goal>-->
-                        <!--</goals>-->
-                    <!--</execution>-->
-                <!--</executions>-->
-                <executions>
-                    <execution>
-                        <id>scala-compile-first</id>
-                        <phase>initialize</phase>
-                        <goals>
-                            <goal>add-source</goal>
-                            <goal>compile</goal>
-                        </goals>
-                    </execution>
-                    <execution>
-                        <id>scala-test-compile</id>
-                        <phase>process-test-resources</phase>
-                        <goals>
-                            <goal>testCompile</goal>
-                        </goals>
-                    </execution>
-                </executions>
-                <configuration>
-                    <scalaVersion>${scala.version}</scalaVersion>
-                </configuration>
-            </plugin>
-
-
-        </plugins>
-    </build>
-
-    <dependencies>
-
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>eu.dnetlib</groupId>
-            <artifactId>dnet-pace-core</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
-        </dependency>
-
-
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.apache.spark</groupId>
-            <artifactId>spark-core_2.11</artifactId>
-        </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.apache.spark</groupId>
-            <artifactId>spark-graphx_2.11</artifactId>
-        </dependency>
-
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.apache.spark</groupId>
-            <artifactId>spark-sql_2.11</artifactId>
-        </dependency>
-
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>junit</groupId>
-            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
-            <scope>test</scope>
-        </dependency>
-
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
-            <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
-        </dependency>
-
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.scala-lang</groupId>
-            <artifactId>scala-library</artifactId>
-        </dependency>
-
-    </dependencies>
-
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dnet-pace-core/pom.xml.releaseBackup b/dnet-pace-core/pom.xml.releaseBackup
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d18645..0000000
--- a/dnet-pace-core/pom.xml.releaseBackup
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
-
-    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
-
-	<parent>
-		<groupId>eu.dnetlib</groupId>
-		<artifactId>dnet-dedup</artifactId>
-		<version>4.0.2-SNAPSHOT</version>
-        <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
-	</parent>
-
-	<artifactId>dnet-pace-core</artifactId>
-    <packaging>jar</packaging>
-
-	<dependencies>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>edu.cmu</groupId>
-			<artifactId>secondstring</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>com.google.guava</groupId>
-			<artifactId>guava</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
-			<artifactId>gson</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
-			<artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>commons-io</groupId>
-			<artifactId>commons-io</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.antlr</groupId>
-			<artifactId>stringtemplate</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
-			<artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>junit</groupId>
-			<artifactId>junit</artifactId>
-			<scope>test</scope>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.reflections</groupId>
-			<artifactId>reflections</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
-			<artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
-			<artifactId>commons-math3</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-
-		<dependency>
-			<groupId>com.jayway.jsonpath</groupId>
-			<artifactId>json-path</artifactId>
-		</dependency>
-
-
-
-	</dependencies>
-
-</project>
diff --git a/dnet-pace-core/release.properties b/dnet-pace-core/release.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index d6ab05a..0000000
--- a/dnet-pace-core/release.properties
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-#release configuration
-#Fri Apr 24 14:37:08 CEST 2020
-scm.tagNameFormat=@{project.artifactId}-@{project.version}
-pushChanges=true
-scm.url=scm\:git\:https\://code-repo.d4science.org/D-Net/dnet-dedup.git/dnet-pace-core
-preparationGoals=clean verify
-projectVersionPolicyId=default
-remoteTagging=true
-scm.commentPrefix=[maven-release-plugin] 
-exec.snapshotReleasePluginAllowed=false
-completedPhase=scm-check-modifications
diff --git a/release.properties b/release.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index 70a3c40..0000000
--- a/release.properties
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#release configuration
-#Thu Jul 02 17:06:39 CEST 2020
-scm.commentPrefix=[maven-release-plugin] 
-pushChanges=true
-project.rel.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-dedup-test=4.0.2
-scm.tag=dnet-dedup-4.0.2
-remoteTagging=true
-project.scm.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-dedup-test.empty=true
-projectVersionPolicyId=default
-scm.url=scm\:git\:https\://code-repo.d4science.org/D-Net/dnet-dedup.git
-scm.tagNameFormat=@{project.artifactId}-@{project.version}
-project.rel.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-dedup=4.0.2
-project.dev.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-pace-core=4.0.3-SNAPSHOT
-preparationGoals=clean verify
-project.scm.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-dedup.tag=HEAD
-project.scm.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-dedup.developerConnection=scm\:git\:https\://code-repo.d4science.org/D-Net/dnet-dedup.git
-exec.snapshotReleasePluginAllowed=false
-project.dev.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-dedup=4.0.3-SNAPSHOT
-project.scm.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-pace-core.empty=true
-project.dev.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-dedup-test=4.0.3-SNAPSHOT
-completedPhase=end-release
-project.rel.eu.dnetlib\:dnet-pace-core=4.0.2