[GOAL] Re: Sharing and reuse - not within a commercial economy, but within a sharing economy

[Chris Zielinski]

"Let's remember that transferring copyright to a high quality publisher is
still a valid option and for many authors may be the best option."

But why *transfer* your copyright, Jeffrey? Why not just *licence* the
publication in a specified format? Whatever they may claim, publishers
don't need to own the copyright to publish their books or journals, "to
defend the integrity of the text", or any of the other pretexts for
requiring ownership of the copyright that I have seen. They just need a
license to do specific, and specified things with the text. In my view,
authors should resist is the infamous "all rights" (or "Mickey Mouse")
clause seizing the right to publish the text in print and in all other
formats, including those developed "at any time in the future". I have even
seen an extension of this rights grab to include "anywhere in the
universe", no doubt preparatory to hyperdrive publications beamed
lucratively from Alpha Centauri.

By all means, *license* your text for specific print, online, CD-ROM or
other uses, but don't give your copyright away.

Best,

Chris

Chris Zielinski
Blog: http://ziggytheblue.wordpress.com
Research publications: http://www.researchgate.net

On 13 April 2015 at 15:45, Beall, Jeffrey <Jeffrey.Beall at ucdenver.edu>
wrote:

> Regarding this ongoing discussion about Creative Commons licenses and
> scholarly publishers, I think it is fair to conclude the following:
>
> 1. There is much disagreement about what the licenses mean, how they can
> be interpreted, and how they are applied in real-world situations
>
> 2. The licenses are not as simple as advertised. In fact, they are complex
> legal documents subject to expert interpretation, and they lead to ongoing
> contentiousness and debate, even among experts.
>
> 3. There is beauty in the simplicity of copyright, that is, transferring
> one's copyright to a publisher. It is binary. The terms are clear. The
> publisher employs professionals that expertly manage the copyright. Owning
> the copyright incentives the publisher to make the work available and
> preserve it over time.
>
> I just had an article accepted recently, and last week I turned in a form
> transferring copyright to the publisher, something I was happy to do. There
> is nothing wrong with this. It's my choice. The paper will eventually
> appear in J-STOR and will be preserved.
>
> My transaction was easy to understand, unambiguous, and clear. Let's
> remember that transferring copyright to a high quality publisher is still a
> valid option and for many authors may be the best option.
>
> Jeffrey Beall, MA, MSLS, Associate Professor
> Scholarly Communications Librarian
> Auraria Library
> University of Colorado Denver
> 1100 Lawrence St.
> Denver, Colo.  80204 USA
> (303) 556-5936
> jeffrey.beall at ucdenver.edu
>
>
>
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>
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