Re: Open Access Does Not require Republishing and Reprinting Rights

From: Iain Stevenson <vip_at_soi.city.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 14:53:04 +0000

     [Moderator's Note: I have prepended Jan Velterop's message to which
     Iain Stevenson seems to be replying below. Iain may have been
     replying to something else as I see nothing in Jan's message to
     suggest he is recommending that anyone should disregard copyright:
     He is just recommending that authors retain it. -- SH]

Jan Velterop wrote:

> There is nothing against copyright. There is everything against
> copyright (or exclusive distribution rights) on research articles
> being transferred to the kind of publishers who subsequently use it
> to restrict - severely restrict - their dissemination and optimal
> use. Authors of research articles should keep their copyright and if
> they use it properly, they use it to ensure maximum dissemination,
> which is where their real interest lies.

Gosh, Jan, you've changed your tune since you were at CUP! People can't
just disregard copyright. it exists and is a good thing. I happen to
agree that authors should retain copyright and used to practise this
when I ran journals. I seem to remember you telling me I was dangerously
liberal then! You can't just disregard a law because it doesn't fit your
view of the world.

Iain Stevenson
Received on Fri Jan 16 2004 - 14:53:04 GMT