From: Juleah Ann Swanson <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 16 May 2016 16:37:03 +0000 Hi colleagues, I’m looking for some insight on a trend I’ve been seeing with publisher licenses. I’ve noticed in a few licenses, language is being added that restricts libraries use and dissemination of COUNTER usage data. Two types of restrictions I’ve seen are either: 1. Restricting use and dissemination of COUNTER statistics to within the institution/library, OR 2. Requesting permission from vendor/publisher for use and dissemination of COUNTER statistics. I am very concerned about these types of restrictions impeding on and potentially influencing/introducing editorial control by vendors into the type of research we conduct in our field. A great deal of research, publications, and conference presentations on collection development, acquisitions, and e-resources rely on the dissemination of COUNTER usage statistics. Furthermore, restrictions could lead to important research projects not being shared with the greater community, impeding innovation and introduction of new ideas in our field. I also happen to stumble upon this blog post arguing that publishers should take back more control over COUNTER stats and other analytics: http://squidsolutions.com/publisher-own-usagedata/ So this trend I’m seeing in licenses may become more prevalent as this discussion grows. Here are some questions that I’d like some better understanding on: -Can COUNTER stats be “owned”? -Is there already an existing precedent on who owns this data between libraries and vendors? -Are others seeing restrictions in license agreements? (I wasn’t able to find a previous thread on this topic in the archives, but I apologize if this has already been discussed!) Thanks everyone, Juleah Swanson Head of Acquisitions Services University of Colorado Boulder Libraries [log in to unmask]