From: Kathleen Shearer <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2015 10:54:36 -0400

(sorry for the cross-posting)

In the last two weeks, over 1,600 individuals and organizations from
52 countries around the world have signed a statement opposing
Elsevier’s new article sharing and hosting policy, underscoring that
many in the scholarly community do not support the new policy.

The policy imposes unacceptably long embargo periods for making
articles available, the vast majority of which range from 12 months to
4 years after publication. It also requires researchers to apply
licenses that restrict the full re-use of articles.

Research funders from around the world are adopting policies that
ensure fast access, use and impact of research outputs. Most of these
funders' require open access to articles within 12 months of
publication or less. Elsevier's policy is in direct opposition to the
trend towards encouraging greater access to and impact of research
results.

Since the statement was published on May 20, 2015, public support has
continued to grow, demonstrating the deep, global support for open
access to research outputs.

COAR and SPARC renew our call for Elsevier to revise their policy in
order to better align it with the interests of the research community
and broader society.