Those who take on the global industry that traps research behind paywalls are heroes, not thievesNever underestimate the power of one determined person. What Carole Cadwalladr has done to Facebook and big data, and Edward Snowden has done to the state security complex, Alexandra Elbakyan has done to the multibillion-dollar industry that traps knowledge behind paywalls. Sci-Hub, her pirate web scraper service, has done more than any government to tackle one of the biggest rip-offs of the modern era: the capture of publicly funded research that should belong to us all. Everyone should be free to learn; knowledge should be disseminated as widely as possible. No one would publicly disagree with these sentiments. Yet governments and universities have allowed the big academic publishers to deny these rights. Academic publishing might sound like an obscure and fusty affair, but it uses one of the most ruthless and profitable business models of any industry.The model was pioneered by the notorious conman Robert Maxwell. He realised that, because scientists need to be informed about all significant developments in their field, every journal that publishes academic papers can establish a monopoly and charge outrageous fees for the transmission of knowledge. He called his discovery “a perpetual financing machine”. He also realised that he could capture other people’s labour and resources for nothing. Governments funded the research published by his company, Pergamon, while... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#alexandra elbakyan
#modern era
#academic publishing
#significant developments
#technical term
A local electrical engineer with a passion for literature is on a mission to share the stories of local authors who have struggled to break into the mainstream publishing industry. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-05-20 10:00:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#untold stories
#local authors
#bookstore
Georgia's foreign agents bill is drawing criticism from PEN Georgia, the Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association, and others. The post Republic of Georgia: Publishing Industry Criticizes ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-05-17 19:01:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#drawing criticism
#georgian publishers
#booksellers association
#publishing industry
Trade publishing sales saw declines in the first quarter, precipitated by drops in the adult nonfiction and children's/YA categories, although audio continues to be a bright spot. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#adult nonfiction
#bright spot
#trade publishing
Welcome to the shiny new version of Best of Book Riot! Who doesn’t love a glow-up? 💔 Nobel Prize-winning author ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-15 15:31:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#prize-winning author
#audiobook
How many of these free audiobook sources have you tried, and which ones are your favorite? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-15 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#audiobook
While their counterparts in trade publishing struggle to increase sales, eight senior executives in the religion space discuss a banner 2023 and bright prospects for the current year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#religion publishers
#good day
#increase sales
#senior executives
#current year
#trade publishing
Bookshop and arts centre run by Salmon Poetry is saved from closure after raising more than €60,000 from 700 individualsA bookshop and arts centre run by a prominent Irish poetry publisher has been saved from closure after a GoFundMe campaign raised more than €60,000 – enough to buy new premises... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-13 15:18:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#bookshop
Author Ken Follett will publish his next, as-yet-untitled book with Hachette Book Group and Hachette UK, after decades with Penguin and Pan Macmillan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#hachette uk
#ken follett
#as-yet-untitled book
#pan macmillan
#hachette book
#hachette
How Fall Became The Big Season in Publishing, SHOGUN Season 2 news, a RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE sequel, and Amazon's Big Book Sale is Live...and Good. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-10 18:14:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book publishing
#big book
The purchase of children's publisher Dry Climate, best known for its alphabetical books spotlighting cities, states, and regions across the U.S., is the latest in a string of acquisitions made by the regional books publisher Arcadia. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#books publisher
#children's publisher
Revenue for U.K. publishing in 2023 was £7.1 billion, about $8.9 billion at current exchange rates, the U.K.'s Publishers Association reported. Growth areas included exports, sales, and digital audiobooks, which saw double digit growth. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital audiobooks
#publishers association
'This report is a call to action for government' on the UK market's AI policy, says the Publishers Association's Dan Conway in London. The post Publishers Association Blasts the UK Government’s Response to AI Report appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-05-08 00:00:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#uk government
#uk market
#dan conway
#publishers association
Audiobooks are fast becoming ‘a major route to market for consumers of books’, the trade body saysThe number of UK audiobook downloads increased by 17% between 2022 and 2023, according to new data from the Publishers Association (PA).Revenue from audiobooks rose 24% across the same period to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-07 15:28:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#audiobook downloads
#trade body
#publishers association
#audiobook
S&S has acquired VBK, the largest Dutch book publishing house, and its subsidiaries and sister companies. The move marks the first major instance of a promised international expansion at S&S since its acquisition by private equity firm KKR last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book publishing
#schuster
Following the retirements of longtime copublishers George Knotek and Joseph Bednarik on May 1, the Port Townsend, Wash.–based poetry press—which turned 50 last year—has tapped its publicist to lead its operations moving forward. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
Celebrate Free Comic Book Day one more time at Flying Colors Comics store in Concord, which is where Joe Field originally came up with the idea. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun
[ Baltimore Sun | 2024-05-02 16:09:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#comic book
May the Fourth be with you as you celebrate Free Comic Book Day and pick up some of the 48 (!) free titles being offered this year. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-01 15:41:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#comic book