Making Knowledge Free Can Cost You Your Freedom
The
fate of a young researcher reflects poorly on the state of scientific
publishing.
Seven years ago, a Kazakhstani graduate student named
Alexandra Elbakyan started a website with a seemingly innocuous goal: Make most
of the world’s research freely available to anyone with internet access. It’s a
sad reflection on the state of scientific publishing that she is now a fugitive
hiding in Russia.
Most people agree that if the public funds scientific
research, it should also have free access to the results. This is more than
just a matter of fairness: The unhindered flow of knowledge is crucial to the
technological innovation that helps drive economic growth.
But that’s not how scientific publishing works. A small group of
companies, such as Elsevier and Springer, controls many of the major
journals in which researchers present their findings -- and owns the
copyrights on about half of all articles being published. This allows them to
charge academic institutions and government laboratories exorbitant sums for access,
at profit margins that typically exceed 30 percent. It also
means that much of the world’s most cutting-edge knowledge is hidden behind
very high paywalls.
Naturally, scientists don’t like this. They have been
trying for decades to erode the publishers’ control through the Open Access
movement. Progress has been slow, but nearly half of all new papers are now
published in Open Access journals, and the major funding agencies of the European Union and many
European nations are starting to require it. Last month, more than 200 German
universities refused to renew their
contract with Elsevier, and are still in negotiations over fees.
The universities’ position has strengthened in part
because much of Elsevier’s content is now available for free online, to anyone
who knows where to look. And for that, they have Alexandra Elbakyan to thank.
Elbakyan’s website, known as Sci-Hub, relies on the cooperation of a large
network of academics, who share their passwords to enable her to access and
archive articles. Millions of people around the globe, including many
scientists, use the website routinely.
The publishers have responded with legal action. Last
year, Elsevier won $15 million in damages for
copyright infringement. More recently, a Virginia court awarded the American
Chemical Society $4.8 million and ordered internet search engines, web hosting
sites and service providers to stop facilitating Sci-Hub activities.
Elbakyan has persevered, repeatedly moving to new domains
as existing one get shut down. In a recent interview, she invoked
Article 27 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
explaining that her motivation is to enable everyone to benefit from scientific
knowledge. Many people keep helping her, posting information that allows
Sci-Hub to be accessed from other locations.
The publishers’ position is looking increasingly untenable. Illegal as it may be, Sci-Hub sheds light on the flaws of a system in which private companies sell the results of research back to the very public that paid for it. The sensible solution is to enact legislation guaranteeing the free availability of publicly funded research. This has already happened in many nations, and could happen soon in the U.S. through a bill known as the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act of 2017. Elbakyan suggests going further, eliminating copyright for all research content.
The world owes Elbakyan a debt for taking a courageous
step that has furthered the Open Access movement and hampered publishers’
ability to hold scientific knowledge hostage. For this, she has been rewarded
with confinement to Russia, where she is residing for fear of arrest and
extradition to the U.S. Let’s hope that changes soon.
Source | https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-08/making-knowledge-free-can-cost-you-your-freedom
Regards
Prof. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library &
Information Science (NET Qualified)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge
Repository
Khaitan & Co
Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978
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