[FC-discuss] "Scientific publishers get a law introduced to end free publication of govt-funded research"
Adi Kamdar
adikamdar at gmail.com
Sat Feb 28 00:48:17 EST 2009
I'm not *too* knowledgeable about how Congress works, but I do know that the
bill was only just introduced and has been referred to the House Committee
on the Judiciary.
Funny thing is that Conyers is the current chairman of the Head Committee on
the Judiciary. Hmm.
But basically the bill still has to go to Subcommittee (although, maybe not,
since it's IP related), the full Committee, then the Rules Committee, then
it's debated and voted on by the full House. etc. etc. (See: Schoolhouse
Rock)
Here's an article by James Boyle about this... worth a read/laugh.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7a110fa6-0219-11de-8199-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
As far as action, letters seem to be a good start--both to Conyers and to
school newspapers. I... am not sure what else.
-Adi
On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 10:22 PM, Kevin Donovan <kdonovan11 at gmail.com>wrote:
> I don't know what that coordinated action would look like, but I do think
> it should have some sort of real-world manifestation - mass mailings to
> Conyers or something.
>
> But before we do that, does anyone who understands how Congress works have
> info on where this bill stands?
>
> From speaking with Georgetown's head of federal relations, it seems like
> this isn't that far along. But it would help to understand what choke points
> we should target...
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 10:14 PM, Elizabeth Stark <emstark at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Definitely. I'm also thinking of some kind of coordinated action across FC
>> chapters, and/or site to coordinate action across the web. What else is out
>> there so far?
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 10:12 PM, Kevin Donovan <kdonovan11 at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> A very easy thing to do is inform other university community members
>>> about this. I wrote an OpEd for the Georgetown newspaper. Feel free to
>>> re-appropriate it: http://thehoya.com/node/18112
>>>
>>> And get in touch with the librarians. They are great on this issue.
>>>
>>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 9:19 PM, Gavin Baker <gavin at gavinbaker.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> The place to start for ideas:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.righttoresearch.org/
>>>>
>>>> Brian Rowe wrote:
>>>> > This would be a large step backwards for OA. I am in for what ever we
>>>> > want to do.
>>>> >
>>>> > Here is a little more info on the finicing of the bill from Nathan
>>>> > Georgette's Open Access Blog
>>>> > <http://openaccessblog.com/2009/02/following-money-on-hr801.html> :
>>>> >
>>>> > Two days ago, I issued an urgent call to action
>>>> > <
>>>> http://openaccessblog.com/2009/02/stand-for-open-access-oppose-hr801.html
>>>> >
>>>> > concerning HR801, re-introduced by Congressional Representative
>>>> John
>>>> > Conyers (D-MI), which would essentially reverse the NIH Open
>>>> Access
>>>> > policy. I have much respect for Representative Conyers, especially
>>>> > on his health care policies. Thus, I was greatly disturbed upon
>>>> > hearing of this development.
>>>> >
>>>> > I wanted to know why Conyers would do such a thing, and began
>>>> > investigating the money trail on Conyers' campaign contributions
>>>> > (thanks Alex for the idea!). What I came upon sank my heart.
>>>> > According to Open Secrets
>>>> > <http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00004029
>>>> >,
>>>> > Conyers' third single largest campaign contributor in 2008 was the
>>>> > American Intellectual Property Law Association
>>>> > <http://www.aipla.org/> (AIPLA), whose "Key Bills of the 111th
>>>> > Congress
>>>> > <
>>>> http://www.aipla.org/Content/NavigationMenu/IP_Issues_and_Advocacy/Legislation1/111th_Congress/Key_Bills_of_the_111th/Key_Bills_of_the_111th.htm
>>>> >"
>>>> > include HR801. Surprised? Shouldn't be. Money talks, and big money
>>>> > talks that much louder.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > I joined the AIPLA last year as a student and was very unimpressed
>>>> they
>>>> > are on the ultra protectionist side of IP, I choose not to renew the
>>>> > membership this year. They have been recruiting students and
>>>> professor
>>>> > rather heavily over the last few years I am curious if we have any
>>>> > active members of the AIPLA that are willing to speak out.
>>>> >
>>>> > -Brian Rowe
>>>> >
>>>> > On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 4:23 PM, Elizabeth Stark <emstark at gmail.com
>>>> > <mailto:emstark at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > I think we can do something kind of big here. Barbie in a Blender
>>>> > style..
>>>> >
>>>> > On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 7:05 PM, Gavin Baker <
>>>> gavin at gavinbaker.com
>>>> > <mailto:gavin at gavinbaker.com>> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > Yes, please get involved :)
>>>> >
>>>> > Need any help, holla at me!
>>>> >
>>>> > Elizabeth Stark wrote:
>>>> > > There's a great opportunity for us to get involved in
>>>> activism
>>>> > against
>>>> > > this bill, especially involving chapters. Ideas for how we
>>>> can
>>>> > best do
>>>> > > this?
>>>> > >
>>>> > > I know Change Congress is looking to target it as well.
>>>> > >
>>>> > > On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 6:19 AM, Rob Myers <
>>>> rob at robmyers.org
>>>> > <mailto:rob at robmyers.org>
>>>> > > <mailto:rob at robmyers.org <mailto:rob at robmyers.org>>> wrote:
>>>> > >
>>>> > >
>>>> http://www.boingboing.net/2009/02/16/scientific-publisher.html
>>>> > >
>>>> > > "Steve sez, "Currently, the National Institutes of
>>>> Health
>>>> > require
>>>> > > NIH-funded research to be published in open-access
>>>> > repositories. In a
>>>> > > cop to for-profit science publishers, Congressional
>>>> > Representative
>>>> > > John Conyers (D-MI) has re-introduced a bill (HR801)
>>>> that
>>>> > essentially
>>>> > > would negate the NIH policy concerning depositing
>>>> research
>>>> > in OA
>>>> > > repositories. The bill goes further than prohibiting
>>>> open
>>>> > access
>>>> > > requirements, however, as the bill also prohibits
>>>> > government agencies
>>>> > > from obtaining a license to publicly distribute,
>>>> perform,
>>>> > or display
>>>> > > such work by, for example, placing it on the Internet,
>>>> and
>>>> > would
>>>> > > repeal the longstanding 'federal purpose' doctrine,
>>>> under
>>>> > which all
>>>> > > federal agencies that fund the creation of a copyrighted
>>>> > work reserve
>>>> > > the 'royalty-free, nonexclusive right to reproduce,
>>>> > publish, or
>>>> > > otherwise use the work' for any federal purpose. The
>>>> bill
>>>> > is bad
>>>> > > news." "
>>>> > > _______________________________________________
>>>> > > Discuss mailing list
>>>> > > Discuss at freeculture.org <mailto:Discuss at freeculture.org
>>>> >
>>>> > <mailto:Discuss at freeculture.org <mailto:
>>>> Discuss at freeculture.org>>
>>>> > > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>> > >
>>>> > >
>>>> > >
>>>> > >
>>>> >
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> > >
>>>> > > _______________________________________________
>>>> > > Discuss mailing list
>>>> > > Discuss at freeculture.org <mailto:Discuss at freeculture.org>
>>>> > > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> > Gavin Baker
>>>> > http://www.gavinbaker.com/
>>>> > gavin at gavinbaker.com <mailto:gavin at gavinbaker.com>
>>>> >
>>>> > No, I do not weep at the world -- I am too busy sharpening my
>>>> > oyster knife.
>>>> > Zora Neale Hurston
>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>> > Discuss mailing list
>>>> > Discuss at freeculture.org <mailto:Discuss at freeculture.org>
>>>> > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>> > Discuss mailing list
>>>> > Discuss at freeculture.org <mailto:Discuss at freeculture.org>
>>>> > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> > Brian Rowe
>>>> > 3L Seattle University
>>>> > (206) 335-8577 (Cell)
>>>> >
>>>> > Access To Justice Technology Principles
>>>> > www.ATJWeb.org <http://www.ATJWeb.org>
>>>> >
>>>> > Freedom for IP
>>>> > www.FreedomforIP.org <http://www.FreedomforIP.org>
>>>> >
>>>> > Seattle Human Rights Network
>>>> > www.SeattleHumanRightsNetwork.org <
>>>> http://www.SeattleHumanRightsNetwork.org>
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> >
>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>> > Discuss mailing list
>>>> > Discuss at freeculture.org
>>>> > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Gavin Baker
>>>> http://www.gavinbaker.com/
>>>> gavin at gavinbaker.com
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Discuss mailing list
>>>> Discuss at freeculture.org
>>>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kevin Donovan
>>> Georgetown '11: SFS
>>> 630.849.8285
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Discuss mailing list
>>> Discuss at freeculture.org
>>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Discuss mailing list
>> Discuss at freeculture.org
>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Kevin Donovan
> Georgetown '11: SFS
> 630.849.8285
>
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at freeculture.org
> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>
>
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