Scientific publishing is a rip-off. We fund the research – it should be free | George Monbiot

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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Scientific publishing is a rip-off. We fund the research – it should be free | George Monbiot'


Larry Flynt, controversial porn publisher who pushed limits of free speech, dead at 78

Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt Jr., the self-described "smut peddler who cares" who used his pornography empire and flair for the outrageous to push the limits of free speech, has died at the age of 78. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2021-02-11 02:25:53 UTC ]
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Opportunity: India Literature and Publishing Sector Research

The British Council is seeking proposals from researchers to conduct research into India’s trade publishing and literature sectors, identifying opportunities for internationalisation and identifying challenges and issues faced by publishers and other literature organisations from working and... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2020-10-26 15:43:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #western markets #official languages #literary agents #publishing professionals #wide range #local context #proposal rfp #indian literature #trade publishing


A New Relief Fund from Sharjah Supports Publishers Affected by the Beirut Blast

The Sharjah World Book Capital Office and Sharjah Book Authority are providing new grants to support Lebanese publishers and book fairs. The post A New Relief Fund from Sharjah Supports Publishers Affected by the Beirut Blast appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-10-07 19:01:26 UTC ]
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The biggest threat to the BBC's independence is the corporation itself | George Monbiot

It follows a news agenda set by media oligarchs. Instead it should be investigating power, money and their influence on our livesThey don’t want balance, they want possession. The oligarchs who own the newspapers will never accept the BBC, because it does not belong to them. However tame and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-07 06:00:30 UTC ]
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In Europe, Efforts at Pandemic Relief for Publishing; New Funds for Authors

Industry notes: The Federation of European Publishers is backing efforts to see the cultural sector included in EU Special Council meetings, while Bonnier donates to open a ‘Reading Fund’ in Germany. By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson FEP’s Manifesto: ‘European Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-07-17 17:40:53 UTC ]
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HC to publish Piers Morgan's 'clarion call' on free speech

HarperCollins has acquired world all language rights to Wake Up: Why the ‘Liberal’ War on Free Speech is Even More Dangerous than Covid-19 by broadcaster and journalist Piers Morgan. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-15 12:44:18 UTC ]
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Hedge fund Chatham plans to buy newspaper publisher McClatchy out of bankruptcy, ending 163 years of family control

Hedge fund Chatham plans to buy newspaper publisher McClatchy out of bankruptcy, ending 163 years of family control Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2020-07-12 18:20:00 UTC ]
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"Let’s clarify what free speech is and is not": An open letter to the industry from Pride in Publishing

Being a book publisher comes with a set of tough moral responsibilities. You provide livelihoods for authors and booksellers, your hiring decisions can greatly influence how UK culture is shaped, and you’re also a company with a duty of care towards your staff. Sometimes these duties come into... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-23 03:23:48 UTC ]
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Education publishers optimistic that goodwill from free resources will endure

With home learning a new and potentially long-lasting part of the education picture, a number of thosein the sector believe their freeing of resources during the lockdown will reap long-term gains. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-19 09:32:53 UTC ]
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Coronavirus Response: Bodour Al Qasimi Launches Emirates Publishers Emergency Fund

Looking to 'safeguard publishers' in the COVID-19 crisis, Bodour Al Qasimi and the Emirates Publishers Association announce new aid for the UAE industry. The post Coronavirus Response: Bodour Al Qasimi Launches Emirates Publishers Emergency Fund appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-06-10 13:32:39 UTC ]
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Publishers Sue Internet Archive Over Free E-Books

Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette and Wiley accused the nonprofit of piracy for making over 1 million books free online. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-06-01 17:13:29 UTC ]
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Coronavirus: International Publishers Make COVID-19 Research Content Freely Available

Research houses and scholarly publishers and associations are pooling their content for professional and public access free of charge. The post Coronavirus: International Publishers Make COVID-19 Research Content Freely Available appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-03-16 08:15:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Scotland Funds 14 Translations; Frankfurt’s LitAg Sells Out

Publishing Scotland names its latest round of translation grants. And the Frankfurt Book Fair's Literary Agents and Scouts Center is sold out. The post Publishing Scotland Funds 14 Translations; Frankfurt’s LitAg Sells Out appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-02-18 16:30:25 UTC ]
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Digiday Research Report: Half of publishing industry workers are concerned with job security

There are a multitude of effects the changes in publishing have had on the industry -- but less well understood are what it has meant for the people working in the industry. We surveyed over 200 publishing employees in business and revenue roles to understand how work culture, mental health, the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2020-01-07 05:01:49 UTC ]
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Is Trump Preparing to Order Public Access to Taxpayer Funded Research?

Details remain murky, but this week the AAP issued a strong rebuke to an open access policy said to be under consideration by the Trump Administration. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-12-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers vow new checks on China surveillance research

Springer Nature and Wiley have said they will re-evaluate papers they have previously published on ethnic minority groups in China, after concerns were raised in an article published this week by the journal Nature, as well as by the New York Times. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-05 08:09:25 UTC ]
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WPP returns to growth and Facebook News offers publishers ‘free money’: Friday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. If you're reading this online or in a forwarded email, here's the link to sign up for our Wake-Up Call newsletters. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-25 10:25:54 UTC ]
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Facebook News debuts with 'free money' for publishers

Facebook opened a news hub today, where it pays publishers to host their headlines and drive visitors to their websites as a way to make amends with the industry that has been battered by the rise of the social network and other platforms. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is due to host media partners at an... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-25 10:00:00 UTC ]
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FutureBook Live to explore publishing freedom and free speech

Issues around publishing freedom and free speech are to be debated at FutureBook Live, with a panel of industry insiders, including publishers, agents and authors to discuss how today's political climate and the rise of social media has changed what is permissible and possible to publish today.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-22 22:49:03 UTC ]
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Digiday Research: Reader revenue is the top publisher priority for 2020

Growing direct reader revenue remains the biggest priority for publishers heading into 2020. The post Digiday Research: Reader revenue is the top publisher priority for 2020 appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-22 04:01:38 UTC ]
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