Re: Who Should Own Scientific Papers?

From: Bert Boyce <lsboyc[_at_]lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu>
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 09:34:10 -0500

On 9/15/98, Daniel J. Schaeffer <daniel_schaeffer[_at_]kirkland.com> wrote:
>
> My question is whether SCIENCE's ownership of the copyright in Scientist
> X's paper would prevent Scientist X from creating a derivative work of
> that paper -- whether it be a follow-up study or something else. If
> Scientist X writes a second paper that builds on the first, does he need
> SCIENCE's permission to publish it?

     This is a rather interesting question that I had never considered. Since nearly all scientific papers are derivative in at least some sense, and usually from several other previous papers, it is clear that no publisher is asserting such a right. It would certainly not fit with the current culture in learned literature. The derivation is, I would normally expect, from the previous writers ideas, not his expresion. Thus I would assume that no claim would exist. Data tables could be shared under the same argument. However, perhaps the lawyers could correct my thinking.

                                        BRB

Bert R. Boyce, Professor & Dean
School of Library & Information Science
Louisiana State University
267 Coates Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

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LSBOYC[_at_]LSUVM.sncc.lsu.edu Received on Wed Sep 16 1998 - 14:32:54 GMT