From: Todd Puccio <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2016 15:33:45 +0000

In response to Jean-Claude Guédon :

The issue is not "when" or "where" a SciHub article was downloaded or
used, but rather, for what purpose.

If the purpose is to further the goals of your institution then the
ethical considerations that I have presented are in play.

Imagine a newspaper headline:

"Elsevier files Law Suit against the Université de Montréal over a
researcher's use of SciHub articles in University conducted research"
{of course, we know a headline would never really be that long}

Now ask yourself, if the use of a SciHub article as an act Civil
Disobedience was acting in the best interest of the Organization ?

The University now has to expend resources defending itself against
something that it did not explicitly support due to a researcher's
personal feelings and a supposed act of civil disobedience.

Right or Wrong - Win or Lose - the University will now suffer the consequences.

I am just asking folks to _think before they act_ .

If they feel so strongly about this, then fine, conduct Civil
Disobedience, but please do not drag your organizations with you
without organizational support.

Respectfully,

T. Puccio

Todd Puccio
Director of Technical Services / Librarian
Nova Southeastern University
Health Professions Division Library
3200 S. University Drive
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328
[log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: "Jean-Claude Guédon" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2016 12:59:04 -0500

In partial response to Todd Puccio:

What happens if I download an article from Sci-hub on weekends, from
my home, without using the U. network... Am I still part of my
university? After all, I am also allowed to do consulting work, so
long as it is not on U. time. What is U. time?

Todd Puccio's point has ethical validity, but human beings are rarely
pure free agents or pure employees. And finding a way not to involve
one's institution while using Sci-hub is not a terribly challenging
problem.

The real ethical issue is whether breaking copyright law is
justifiable if placed in the context of publisher behaviour viewed as
unacceptable. That is where a term like "civil disobedience" comes
into play.

A publisher behaviour begins to be unacceptable when some of its
components contribute strongly to making the process of knowledge
creation sub-optimal. Remember that creating knowledge about our world
is among the noblest things that a human being can do. Interfering
with this objective for financial gain is not terribly ethical IMHO,
even though it may be legal.

Jean-Claude Guédon
Professeur titulaire
Littérature comparée
Université de Montréal


From: Todd Puccio <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2016 17:32:05 +0000

Robin Hood didn't have a boss.