Open Access News

News from the open access movement


Friday, June 01, 2007

Elsevier will drop its arms business

Elsevier is leaving the business of hosting arms exhibitions.  Details from Reuters today:

Anglo-Dutch publisher Reed Elsevier...plans to stop organising defence industry exhibitions by the end of the year due to growing concerns by customers and authors, the company said on Friday.

"It has become increasingly clear that growing numbers of important customers and authors have very real concerns about our involvement in the defence exhibitions business," Chief Executive Officer Crispin Davis said in a statement.

"We have listened closely to these concerns and this had led us to conclude that the defence shows are no longer compatible with Reed Elsevier's position as a leading publisher of scientific, medical, legal and business content." ...

The portfolio of five shows represents around 0.5 percent of the group's annual turnover, Reed said on Friday, adding the withdrawal would be completed during the second half of 2007.

PS:  For background, why The Lancet thinks there is an OA connection, and why I haven't blogged much on this controversy, see my post from March 24, 2007.