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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It is an industry like no other, with profit margins to rival Google – and it was created by one of Britain’s most notorious tycoons: Robert Maxwell. By Stephen BuranyiIn 2011, Claudio Aspesi, a senior investment analyst at Bernstein Research in London, made a bet that the dominant firm in one... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing network BAME in Publishing is celebrating its first birthday by offering the opportunity for one writer hailing from a black, Asian or ethnic minority (BAME) background to have their work edited by W&N publishing director Arzu Tahsin. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Good user experience (UX) design is based on evidence. Qualitative evidence, such as user testing and field research, can only get you so far, however. To get the full picture of how users are engaging with your website or app, you’ll need to use quantitative evidence in the form of analytics.... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2017-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Like most publishers, European publishers have Facebook on the mind. The post Digiday research: Three quarters of European publishers prioritize Facebook appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2017-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'A Legacy of Spies,' the first novel in 25 years to feature le Carré's most popular character, George Smiley, will be released on September 5. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five Welsh publishing companies have received a grant of £250,000 from the Welsh Books Council. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Particular Books, an imprint of Penguin Press, is publishing a crowd-funded feminist storybook, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, comprising 100 tales of "extraordinary women" from around the globe, including Michelle Obama and Jane Austen. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild, and the American Booksellers Association voice their support of Simon & Schuster on Milo Yiannopoulos book The post Free Speech Follow-Up: Publishing Associations Support Simon & Schuster appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When news hit in May that a woman was sent home for wearing flat shoes, Shortlist Media scored a point for equality and filmed blokes going to work in heels. The result was a 23 million views across social media. The publisher's free magazines, Stylist and Shortlist, have a circulation of... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2016-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If Impress is recognised, publishers risk exposure to potentially huge legal costs even if acquitted, argue UK publishersNewspaper publishers have warned that if a would-be regulator funded by Max Mosley is formally recognised it would amount to “an attack on free speech” and expose the press to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Organisations including PEN International have spoken out about the ‘grave impact on democracy’ caused by major crackdown on book tradeThe closure of 29 publishers by the Turkish government has been condemned by the international publishing community, which described the move as outrageous and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As pre-fair meetings with agencies and publishers' rights teams move to the grounds of Frankfurt Book Fair on October 18, a free table in the new Publishers Rights Corner is on offer. The post IPR License Raffle: A Free Publishers Rights Corner Table at Frankfurt Book Fair appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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by Andrew Rutledge, VP Sales, Publisher Technology Group, AppNexus Dear Readers: If you’re a digital publisher or app developer, chances are you’ve been approached by numerous ad tech sales teams in recent months, each extolling the virtues of header bidding. How do I know this? Well, I run... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2016-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The co-founder and chairman of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, who died this week, had unique status as both brand and editorLast year, Lord Weidenfeld joined his Hachette colleagues in moving to a shiny new HQ overlooking the Thames. Still regularly putting in office shifts, the nonagenarian... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Towering figure in British publishing, who worked with authors from Harold Wilson to Vladimir Nabokov, remained engaged with the business until very recently“I try not to think that I might not be here when some of my projects come to fruition”: a 2009 interview with Lord WeidenfeldLord George... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dosdoce, Bookwire and Publishing Perspectives are offering an exclusive ebook licensing guide for global public libraries and publishers. The post Free Guide to Ebook Licensing for Public Libraries and Publishers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Microsoft is taking a novel approach to marketing its research projects with a series of free sci-fi short stories.The “Future Visions” anthology, available as a free ebook, includes stories from eight prominent science fiction authors, along with a short graphic novel and original... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2015-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A law in Romania allows prisoners who publish books to cut months off their sentences. Several imprisoned politicians and businessmen have taken advantage. The post Bizarre Romanian Law Frees Convicts Who Publish Books appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google has launched its €150m (£109m) fund for European publishers to tap to develop new digital news projects, with large-scale grants needing approval from a council includingTelegraph chief Murdoch MacLennan. Google ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Internet giant says funding will have ‘no strings attached’, with larger grants needing approval from a council including the Telegraph’s Murdoch MacLennanGoogle has launched its €150m (£109m) fund for European publishers to tap to develop new digital news projects, with large-scale grants... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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