Re: Who Should Own Scientific Papers?

On 23 Sep 1998, James Rogers <jetan[_at_]ionet.net> wrote:
>
> On 9/22/98, Bert Boyce <lsboyc[_at_]lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu> wrote:
> >
> > This is a fairly long article which those not interested in the
> > "Who should own scientific papers" thread may wish to delete at once.
> > However, it is important in that it shows the feelings of an academic
> > administrator in a significant position who can affect academic
> > thinking on copyright policy.
>
> This idea seems so obvious and so excellent, from the standpoint
> of the academic institution, that one I am a bit surprised that it has
> not been attempted in the past. One caveat, does anyone else see a
> potential antitrust problem in the article along the lines of "concerted
> refusal to deal"? Not saying that that is a valkid objection, but it
> seems to me one challenge that the publishers could make.

I raised the anti-trust question in an article published in a special issue of Acquisitions Librarian on "Current legal issues in publishing" edited by A Bruce Strauch, Esq. (15. 1996:27-34) The article was titled "University ownership of faculty copyrights." It dwelt on proposals issued in 1994 by the Association of American Universities and the Association of Research Libraries as a solution to the library crisis. So the Koonin and Bachrach et al. initiatives have deep roots and little new thinking.

Generally, universities do not control the research of their faculty members. I don't see where they have any say in researchers' choice of publisher.

One hundred twenty-five U.S. universities monopolize Federal research grants. Their faculty generate 70% of U.S. journal articles, according to National Science Board figures. Most of these schools belong to Association of American Universities, Association of Research Libraries, etc. They also own most of the university presses that compete in the marketplace with "commercial" publishers and associations.

More important, they have a responsibility to research and education that they seem to have abandoned in the quest to find money for other ends.

Albert Henderson, Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY <70244.1532[_at_]compuserve.com> Received on Thu Sep 24 1998 - 23:13:00 GMT