From: Joseph Esposito <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 09:33:16 -0500

I would be interested to know from lawyers familiar with antitrust
issues whether this development may face legal challenges.

Joe Esposito

On Sun, Dec 20, 2015 at 10:04 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> From: Ann Shumelda Okerson <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2015 21:59:50 -0500
>
> Berlin 12 Conference Focuses on Proposal to Flip Subscription Journals
> to Open Access
>
> Reporte by Kathleen Shearer. Association of Research Libraries
> Partnership Consultant
>
> "On December 8 and 9, 2015, representatives from several regions
> (Asia, Europe, and North America) met in Berlin, Germany, to discuss a
> proposal to flip subscription-based journals to open access models.
> The initiative is being led by the Max Planck Society, the organizer
> and host of the invitation-only Berlin 12 Open Access Conference. The
> rationale for the initiative is based on an analysis undertaken by Max
> Planck Digital Library (MPDL), which found that a flip to open access
> would be possible at no financial risk, “maybe even at lower overall
> costs” to the system.
>
> "The objective of the conference was to build a consensus for an
> internationally coordinated effort to shift libraries’ journal budgets
> away from subscriptions and towards article processing costs (APCs).
> The meeting was attended by 96 participants from 19 countries, with
> several US and Canadian representatives. The major point of discussion
> was an expression of interest (EOI) that would form the basis for
> gaining support and moving forward with the initiative. Once
> published, organizations will be invited to sign the EOI and it will
> be used to galvanize interest in the initiative around the world."
>
> Ms. Shearer's full report is found at:
>
> http://www.arl.org/storage/documents/publications/2015.12.18-Berlin12Report.pdf
>
> Interesting to read about what may be be an underlying difference
> between the US and other countries on the matter of conversion to open
> access.  At least some US representatives seek a transition in which
> there are real reductions in the costs of the scholarly publications
> system and assert that a key to success is greater competition in that
> system.  The Max Planck proposal appears to be more straightforward --
> a swap (flip) of subscription payments for models that assure open access.