In the February 14 Chronicle of Higher Education, Edward Johnson argues that UCITA is "the law against sharing knowledge". The full-text article is only accessible to subscribers, but I've put some excerpts online in the FOS Forum. One short excerpt here: "Today...licensing is taking over the world of academic libraries, and putting scholars' ability to exchange information at risk. Stories of draconian contract terms in licenses from software vendors and the publishers of electronic databases and periodical indexes circulate like tall tales --but they are usually true....UCITA poses real threats to our traditional rights as scholars, researchers, and teachers. The free and unfettered exchange of information that has characterized the scholarly communications system for so long is in danger." Johnson is the dean of libraries at Oklahoma State University.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 2/11/2003 12:10:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
