From: "Jean-Claude Guédon" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 10:21:37 -0500 Why ask the final two questions? Let me reiterate that publishing is part of the research process, and the research process is very heavily subsidized. So why not subsidize scientific publishing as well? What is wrong with subsidies? I just cannot wrap my mind about this issue, simply because I do not see scientific publishing as a form of commerce starkly separated from the research process. I also do not see commerce as the paradigmatic foundation of human behaviour. Liberal economics and econometrics is not the science of all human and social sciences, and the very presence of "externalities" in economic models is the best form of support for my statement. The main advantage of freemium is that it diversifies revenue streams, and it frees the publishing platform from too heavy a dependence upon subsidies from one source. An equivalent strategy rests on a diversity of subsidy sources. The main disadvantages of the Freemium model have been well spelt out in an earlier message by Anthony Watkinson. It still creates barriers to re-use and re-mixing. It is better than nothing, but it is not the ideal solution. From my perspective, it is a transitional strategy at best. If the revenue issue is really what is central to some readers of this list, they should not forget to raise the same question with Open Edition (http://www.openedition.org). Both Open Edition and OECD raise the very interesting issue of what is a public platform for scientific/scholarly publishing. Jean--Claude Guidon Le lundi 19 février 2018 à 21:43 -0500, LIBLICENSE a écrit : From: Rick Anderson <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:44:57 +0000 Hi, Toby – I do think the freemium model is very interesting. I’m not sure it would work equally well across disciplines—it seems to me like it’s a model that is most likely to succeed where the subject areas are of relatively broad interest—but I too would like to see more publishers try it. Just to be clear: the revenue stream you guys are realizing through freemium payments are making any additional subvention from OECD unnecessary? So the publishing programs are entirely self-sufficient? Rick --- Rick Anderson Assoc. Dean for Collections & Scholarly Communication Marriott Library, University of Utah Desk: (801) 587-9989 Cell: (801) 721-1687 [log in to unmask]