STM Publishers clarify position on authors' rights
OXFORD, UK, MONDAY, 10 MARCH 2008 1700GMT
The debate on the rights that authors have (or indeed it is
claimed inaccurately, do not have) over their published
works
continues to rage, and much coverage has been given to
purportedly restrictive practices or policies, when in fact
they
do not exist for the majority of publishers.
The most recent examples surround the vote of the Faculty of
Arts
and Sciences at Harvard for university ownership and
distribution
of research papers (February 2008). One advocate of the
Harvard
policy claims that this step was taken because "the
scholarly
publishing system has become far more restrictive than it
need be
[... m]any publishers will not even allow scholars to use
and
distribute their own work." (See
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/02.14/99-
fasvote.html).
This is not only an inaccurate perception of the role of
publishers and copyright, but also means that advocating
authors
to modify existing journal publishing agreements with
"copyright
addenda" is simply a call for needless bureaucracy.
In order to provide clarity to the debate and to clear up
misunderstandings, STM, the International Association of
Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers, has today
released an
evidence-based "Statement on Journal Publishing
Agreements and
Copyright Addenda. (See
http://www.stm-assoc.org/documents-statements-public-co/
)
STM publishers invariably allow the authors of journal
articles
to use their published papers in their own teaching and for
educational purposes generally within their institutions.
Most
journals have policies that permit authors to provide copies
of
their papers to research colleagues, and to re-use portions
of
their papers in further works or books. Although some
news-oriented science and medical magazines have a few
restrictions on pre-publication posting, almost all research
journals permit the posting by the author or the author's
institution of some version of the paper on the Internet.
Michael Mabe, CEO of STM commented: "Many of the usage
policies
we describe have been in place for many years. Our industry
regularly reviews the needs and interests expressed by
scholars,
researchers and educators, and responds directly to these.
Changes reflecting the needs of pre-print servers and
institutional repositories are a case in point. Policy
debate
should be well-informed and based on evidence and
consultation."
ENDS
STM is an international trade association of about 100
scientific, technical, medical and scholarly publishers,
collectively responsible for more than 60% of the global
annual
output of research articles, 55% of the active research
journals
and the publication of tens of thousands of print and
electronic
books, reference works and databases. It is the only
international trade association equally representing all
types of
STM publishers - large and small companies, not for profit
organisations, learned societies, traditional, primary,
secondary
publishers and new entrants to global publishing.
Contact: Kim Beadle, STM, beadle stm-assoc.org or phone +44
1865 339321
Janice E. Kuta
Director of Marketing & Membership
International Association of Scientific, Technical &
Medical Publishers
E-mail: kutastm-assoc.org
Tel: 212-533-0832
Fax: 212-420-8407
www.stm-assoc.org
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