What should academics do if their publisher won allow them to retain copyright, or to self-archive?
If a publisher will not agree to publish on any better terms, the author should back down and publish with their preferred publisher. It is recognised that getting published in the right places has to be the highest priority, especially for authors near the start of their careers. More established authors may feel it appropriate to take a firmer stand and refuse to publish on terms they find unacceptable. Many publishers will be willing to discuss copyright agreements with authors, and may be willing to give self-archiving permission if approached directly. We hope that the repeated pressure of authors asking for better terms will help publishers to move forward in this area – the fact that more and more publishers are adopting a formal self-archiving policy suggests that this pressure is working.
Many publishers will be willing to discuss copyright agreements with authors, and may be willing to give self-archiving permission if approached directly. The Repository Team can write to publishers on your behalf to ask for permission to deposit specific articles in the repository. We hope that the repeated pressure of authors asking for better terms will help publishers to move forward in this area. Be aware, though, that even when copyright is not retained by the author, most publishers allow their authors to self-archive.
Related Questions
- Why would a commercial publisher allow the deposit of research in an Open Access repository for which it owns the copyright?
- What should academics do if their publisher won allow them to retain copyright, or to self-archive?
- Has any publisher taken any legal action against an author for breach of copyright?
