[BOAI] Re: RCUK & EC Did Not Follow Finch/Willets

[Andras Holl]

Dear Mr Kleiman,

> 'Who pays for distribution and storage?'

It is a bit strange that in our 'world economy.' the
questions like that are not asked. I am speaking about the 
exorbitant prices charged by the publishing industry, not about
the costs of repositories. Repositories, in fact, address exactly 
this situation. They have appeared because of the uncontrolled 
and skyrocketing journal subsription fees. So maybe the market mechanisms
are working after all, in spite of the efforts of the publishing
industry to suppress them.

Obviously, there is a need for publishers, distributors,
and these functions do cost money. But not as much money
as presently goes to this system. The market is an effective controller -
that is, if there is a market. In scientific journal publishing
there is no market. Presently most publishers have a gross profit, because
libraries of the rich countries try to subscribe all journals,
not only the most cost effective ones. Publishing industry
spends money for lobbying, misleading politicians. Of course,
there are effective journals too. Some journals are owned by
learned societies, and publishers can compete to publish them.
SCOAP3 also tries to do something to change the system.

In summary, I think quite a few people tries to answer the
question that which is the most cost effective way of publishingű
in science. There could be several answers, but the answers
suggested by the publishing lobby are not the appropriate ones.

With best regards,

Andras Holl