[FC-discuss] "Scientific publishers get a law introduced to end free publication of govt-funded research"

Jay Sulzberger jays at panix.com
Sat Feb 28 11:12:35 EST 2009



On Sat, 28 Feb 2009, Adi Kamdar <adikamdar at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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

1. Get the times for movement of the bill.

2. Gather a serious group of serious people to go Washington to
meet with Representative Conyers, and/or the committees.  Join
with other organizations.

3. Write a definite statement of why Congress must not hand the
results of research you and I paid for to private parties who
intend to re-sell to us the reasearch results we have already
paid for.

4. Go to Washington with as large and strong a group as you can
put together.  Speak directly with your Representatives and
Senators.  Speak to the Executive branch also.  Speak to Conyers.

oo--JS.


>
>
> 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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