Re: ALPSP creates model Grant of Licence for journal articles

From: Stevan Harnad <harnad_at_coglit.ecs.soton.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 17:22:56 +0000

On Tue, 21 Dec 1999, Ransdell, Joseph M. wrote:

> The ALPSP policy is not quite so progressive as it might seem at first
> if we note that it has an Achilles Heel...
> ... relative to the goal of unrestricted public access.
>
> Since posting to a public server is left optional, the ALPSP is
> taking no position on that possibility. Hence the relevant "progresive"
> clause -- if that is the word for it -- is "MOUNTED ON YOUR OWN OR YOUR
> INSTITUTION'S WEBSITE". This is okay PROVIDED the institution's website
> is available extra-murally, which the part of it hosting publications
> may not be; and/or PROVIDED that the author's website is public and the
> author has not compromised his or her copyright by "sharing" it with his
> or her institution, which might not agree to posting the paper to the
> public website.
>
> The ALPSP is shifting the policy burden to the institutions and their
> future policies concerning "sharing" copyright with them, and such
> policies as they adopt once they have acquired their "share". This
> should surely be duly noted, particularly since these institutions
> include commercial ones as well as universities and colleges.

Incorrect.

Re-read the policy, which also specifies public servers
(if a university website is not public enough already!):

> YOU ALSO RETAIN THE RIGHT TO
> USE YOUR OWN ARTICLE (provided you acknowledge the published
> original in standard bibliographic citation form) as follows, as
> long as you do not sell it [or give it away] in ways which would
> conflict directly with our commercial business interests: for the
> internal educational or other purposes of your own institution or
> company; MOUNTED ON YOUR OWN OR YOUR INSTITUTION'S WEBSITE; [POSTED
> TO FREE PUBLIC SERVERS OF PREPRINTS AND/OR ARTICLES IN YOUR SUBJECT
> AREA]...
Received on Wed Feb 10 1999 - 19:17:43 GMT