Scientific Publishers Want Upload Filter To Stop Academics Sharing Their Own Papers Without Permission
from the where-there's-a-gate,-there's-got-to-be-a-gatekeeper dept
Back in March of this year, Techdirt wrote about ResearchGate, a site that allows its members to upload and share academic papers. Although the site says it is the responsibility of the uploaders to make sure that they have the necessary rights to post and share material, it's clear that millions of articles on ResearchGate are unauthorized copies according to the restrictive agreements that publishers typically impose on their authors. As we wrote back then, it was interesting that academic publishers were fine with that, but not with Sci-Hub posting and sharing more or less the same number of unauthorized papers.
Somewhat belatedly, the International Association of Scientific Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) has now announced that it is not fine with authors sharing copies of their own papers on ResearchGate without asking permission. In a letter to the site from its lawyers (pdf), the STM is proposing what it calls "a sustainable way to grow and to continue the important role you play in the research ecosystem". Here's what it wants ResearchGate ("RG") to do:
RG's users could continue "claiming”, i.e. agreeing to make public or uploading documents in the way they may have become accustomed to with RG's site. An automated system, utilizing existing technologies and ready to be implemented by STM members, would indicate if the version of the article could be shared publicly or privately. If publicly, then the content could be posted widely. If privately, then the article would remain available only to the co-authors or other private research groups consistent with the STM Voluntary Principles. In addition, a message could be sent to the author showing how to obtain rights to post the article more widely. This system could be implemented within 30-60 days and could then handle this "processing" well within 24 hours.
In other words, an upload filter, of exactly the kind proposed by the European Commission in its new Copyright Directive. There appears to be a concerted push by the copyright industry to bring in upload filters where it can, either through legislation, as in the EU, or through "voluntary" agreements, as with ResearchGate. Although the lawyer's letter is couched in the politest terms, it leaves no doubt that if ResearchGate refuses to implement STM's helpful suggestion, things might become less pleasant. It concludes:
On behalf of STM, I urge you therefore to consider this proposal. If you fail to accede to this proposal by 22 September 2017, then STM will be leaving the path open for its individual members to follow up with you separately, whether individually or in groups sharing a similar interest and approach, as they may see fit.
What this latest move shows is that publishers aren't prepared to allow academics to share even their own papers without permission. It underlines that, along with fat profits, what the industry is most concerned about in this struggle is control. Academic publishers will graciously allow ResearchGate to exist, but only if they are recognized unequivocally as the gatekeeper.
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Filed Under: academia, copyright, knowledge, papers, sharing
Companies: researchgate, sci-hub
Reader Comments
The First Word
“A Proposed Letter
Dear STM,It was very thoughtful of you to build such a software system for us. Had you contacted us beforehand we would have been able to save you the wasted effort. Since such an automated system can be abused to silence constitutionally protected speech including if not specifically speech that is critical of STM or any of its members, as such we cannot rationalize giving out veto powers.
The services we provide are very much like a bulletin board for scientists and researchers. We do not want or condone our platform being used for illegal activity. Being somewhat familiar with our own business, we already have existing measures in place. Your advice in our business affairs and procedures may come of as a bit arrogant, condescending and dictatorial but is nonetheless cute.
The afore-mentioned existing procedures are as follows. If you are aware of our services being used for a seriously criminal purpose, please contact the proper authorities so that we may assist them in a thorough investigation and locating the guilty party. If, as your letter indicates your primary concern is someone using our services for copyright infringement, guess what we already have procedures in place for that too. If it is your own intellectual property being infringed please file a DMCA take down request as outlined here: https://www.researchgate.net/application.IntellectualPropertyPolicy.html If it is a member's intellectual property please refer them to said procedures or to us and we can point them there. Have a nice day.
RG
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Best regards,
STM
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A cure
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Re: A cure
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that which we have constructed to protect us, is being used to destroy us while we cheer it on.
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lol
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Journals don't even pay authors for their studies :-0
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Re: Journals don't even pay authors for their studies :-0
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The problem is each discipline has to step up and create peer reviewed journal run entirely by academicians in the field who aren't venial and out to collect monopoly rents for themselves.
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Voluntary
Thank you for unwittingly choosing to work with STM.
Would you like the STM Voluntary Principles or the thumbscrews? The principles are entirely voluntary mind you; if you prefer, the thumbscrews are always on hand (as it were).
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If the EU wanted to support creative people (and scientists) ...
The EU should also clarify that copyright prevents only IDENTICAL copies of the articles, not modified versions.
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And this is why...
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The Empire Strikes Back
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Re: The Empire Strikes Back
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DMCA is there for a reason...
But we all know that they won't do it because they know they would lose the PR backlash that would ensue and do more damage if it is picked up by the mainstream press. I don't think they could spin this to a positive if they tried:
STM: You can't publish your paper on ResearchGate
Scientist: But I wrote it.
STM: But I own it.
Public backlash in 3...2...1...
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Re: DMCA is there for a reason...
It's even worse than that. The universities usually want the work of their staff cited in other research. Same with the authors. Only the publishers want to restrict this.
Seems to me that as long as the universities are paying, they should be steering the conversation, only they aren't. :-S
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STM
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Some of the better journals, or at least their editorial boards are slipping away to create new journals.
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This sort of thing will continue until academia puts a stop to it.
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News and ResearchGate
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Re: News and ResearchGate
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A Proposed Letter
It was very thoughtful of you to build such a software system for us. Had you contacted us beforehand we would have been able to save you the wasted effort. Since such an automated system can be abused to silence constitutionally protected speech including if not specifically speech that is critical of STM or any of its members, as such we cannot rationalize giving out veto powers.
The services we provide are very much like a bulletin board for scientists and researchers. We do not want or condone our platform being used for illegal activity. Being somewhat familiar with our own business, we already have existing measures in place. Your advice in our business affairs and procedures may come of as a bit arrogant, condescending and dictatorial but is nonetheless cute.
The afore-mentioned existing procedures are as follows. If you are aware of our services being used for a seriously criminal purpose, please contact the proper authorities so that we may assist them in a thorough investigation and locating the guilty party. If, as your letter indicates your primary concern is someone using our services for copyright infringement, guess what we already have procedures in place for that too. If it is your own intellectual property being infringed please file a DMCA take down request as outlined here: https://www.researchgate.net/application.IntellectualPropertyPolicy.html If it is a member's intellectual property please refer them to said procedures or to us and we can point them there. Have a nice day.
RG
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