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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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'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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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Deal part of Google News Initiative to fund various journalism projects and content from news organizations. Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal
[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2024-05-01 13:36:48 UTC ]
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Report commissioned by HarperCollins shows that uptake in YA fiction in older readers is due to behavioural changes described as ‘emerging adulthood’ or delaying ‘adult’ lifeYoung adult fiction such as The Hunger Games, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and the Heartstopper graphic novels might be... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-04-30 11:59:14 UTC ]
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Can We Truly Be Free of Our Past? A Conversation with Wendy Chen, by Xixuan Collins Interviews [email protected] Mon, 04/29/2024 - 15:10 An epic family saga that spans over one hundred years and two countries, Wendy Chen’s powerful, lyrical debut,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-04-29 20:10:46 UTC ]
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Exclusive: Ernest Moret was held en route to a book fair amid fears police are using counter-terrorism powers to target activistsA French publisher who was arrested in London by counter-terror officers has been awarded “substantial” damages by the Metropolitan police, as new figures reveal... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-04-29 06:00:25 UTC ]
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All you need is an internet connection, a library card, and a good ebook reader to dive into your next page-turner. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-04-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
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In 'Attack from Within,' Barbara McQuade explores disinformation and the need to report, and defend, the truth. Her publisher, Seven Stories, is taking note—even as fact-checking remains scarce in book publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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When SPD (Small Press Distribution) announced its sudden and immediate closure at the end of March, hundreds of small and indie presses were not only caught off-guard but immediately thrown into existential limbo. Publishers and authors took to whatever platforms they had available to share... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-25 16:35:33 UTC ]
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