... The public interest of research and education is best served by encouraging the
creation of new publications and information services with [education and research] audiences and
markets in mind. For example, journal articles, academic treatises and textbooks are
published by STM publishers for the very purpose of contributing to scholarly
communication and education. Libraries for non-commercial research or non-
commercial educational institutions are the primary purchasers of (or licensees for)
STM publisher materials and services. Offering publications and information services
to these non-commercial communities, eg by way of subscription or individual
journal article supply, is the very essence of “normal exploitation” which must be left
free of exceptions that prejudice the legitimate interests of rights-holders
unreasonably.
Further, STM publishers have embraced digital technology and offer much of their
material online or in digital form (almost all journal and database content, and an
increasingly large number of books) and provide online services such as individual
article purchase and access. Publishers have entered the digital environment,
recognising both the new opportunities for distribution it presents, and also the
significant risk for widespread unauthorised downloading.
STM publishers are also actively engaged with other agents and distributors to
distribute or provide access to or copies of such materials. ...
Comment. The paper goes on to discuss specific topics such as course packs, archiving, orphan works, and inter-library loan.
L&E's aren't OA, but they do offer the opportunity to reduce barriers to access and use (see, e.g., fair use). The position paper is also noteworthy because much of STM's rhetoric is identical to its positions on OA: that publishers are rightful rightsholders, that they provide useful services to the research and education communities, that their profit motive should be considered in the interest of research and education, etc.
... One of the disturbing elements of the STM statement is its complete lack of recognition of authors, as well as other contributors to scholarly publishing. ...
Libraries should post this prominently on their scholarly communications websites. When scholars are giving away their copyright, they should be aware of who they are giving it to.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
