#capitalist enclosures

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The Dream of a Universal Library | Robert Darnton

In 1991 the World Wide Web seemed to provide a path to a dazzling future: everyone in the world would be able to communicate, at a minimal c

The review examines in part the new book Athena Unbound: Why and How Scholarly Knowledge Should Be Free for All, by Peter Baldwin.

An abbreviated version of this generally understood problem:

corporate interests have seized much of academic publishing

they charge exorbitant rates for individual articles and journal subscriptions

libraries spend scarce resources purchasing access to these paywall products, undermining their collections and services

universities waste considerable money on these overpriced journals

taxpayer money already subsidizes the work of academics and scientific research - which ends up being a public handout to these corporate interests

for-profit academic publishing generally benefits no one except for the corporation itself

corporate control of access to knowledge inhibits research, public understanding, and scientific, intellectual and social progress

One scam by the for-profit publishers is that they offer "open access" by charging onerous fees to individuals and institutions submitting papers. Two examples I came across almost at random today:

I wonder if anyone has considered a "march in" action by the federal government, similar to its justification used in cases of price gouging by drug manufacturers:

White House proposes to 'march in' on patents for costly drugs https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/07/1217882958/white-house-proposes-to-march-in-on-patents-for-costly-drugs

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academic journal articles for free

Do you need quick and free access to a variety of academic journals, usually with no 6-month embargo?

After all, your taxes support the university system.  Even many private colleges benefit from your taxes through, among other things, the training of professors and tax deductions for people who donate to them.

Why then should we allow private corporations to enclose and restrict knowledge (information and research you’ve already paid for) on the basis of your ability to pay?

Well, if you’re like me in the belief that we should kick these companies to the curb, seize all their assets and return them to the public, and make as much academic research and publishing free to the public as possible, then here’s a small tip on how to turn the tables, at least with regard to one company:

deepdyve.com

They’ve a left a gaping hole in their system.  After you sign up for your free account and play around a bit with the site, the gap becomes rather obvious.  It’s entirely possible that they’re aware of this weakness, but for the past 2 years or so (since I first noticed it) it hasn’t changed.

Have at it.