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9/8/03
NEW IN BIOSCIENCE:
NEW LEGISLATION ADVOCATES FREE ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS,
BUT AT WHAT COST?
The September 2003 Washington Watch column for BioScience
is now available online:
"The mission statements of most scientific societies
encompass the need to raise awareness of their field of
research. So why, then, is a campaign aimed at broadly distributing
the results of scientific research coming under fire from
those same societies?
The Public
Library of Science (PLoS; www.plos.org), a nonprofit
organization of scientists and physicians, launched a public
campaign in October 2000 aimed at 'making the world's scientific
and medical literature a public resource.' In June 2003,
their cause received its first legislative endorsement when
Rep. Martin O. Sabo (D-MN) introduced H.R. 2613, a bill
that would ensure free access to scientific research results
by preventing the copyright of any scientific research 'substantially'
funded by the federal government. 'This is a good idea whose
time is overdue,' Sabo said. 'We only progress as a society
when research is available to all of our best minds at any
time. Citizens should have access to publicly funded research
anytime.'"SS.
The full story will soon be available online at: http://www.aibs.org/governmentaffairs/txtww.ldml
6/26/03
BILL TO BE INTRODUCED
THAT WOULD EXCLUDE RESEARCH ARTICLES FROM COPYRIGHT LAWS
At a Washington, D.C. press conference this morning, Rep.
Martin Sabo (D-MN) announced that he will introduce legislation
to make the results of scientific and medical research that
is funded by taxpayer dollars to be made available immediately
and at no cost to anyone who wants to access them. Sabo's
bill is part of a campaign by the Public Library of Science
(PLoS - http://www.plos.org/news/announce_wings.html),
a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians,
to make the world's scientific and medical literature a
public resource. According to PLoS, "Virtually all
of the latest scientific and medical research publications
are now available online, but full access is restricted
to a privileged elite at large universities and research
institutions who can afford the often exorbitant subscription
fees. Journal publishers often pocket excessive profits,
while most American taxpayers, who paid the researchers'
salaries and expenses, are denied access."
Sabo's bill would amend the current copyright law to "exclude
from copyright protection" research results that are
"substantially funded" by the US government. This
broadens the current provision in the copyright act that
simply excludes work conducted by government employees.
In explaining his motivation for the legislation, Rep. Sabo
said in part: "Our government spends $45 billion a
year to support scientific and medical research whose product
is new knowledge for the public benefit. Via the internet,
it could be made available to everyone at home, work or
a public library. We must remember that government funded
research belongs to, and should be readily available to,
every person in the United States."
The bill is still in a draft form (contact AIBS Director
of Public Policy at afroelich@aibs.org
if you would like a copy of the draft legislation). Substantial
debate and revision is expected. If you want to respond
formally to the bill, you can do so at Rep. Sabo's website
at www.house.gov/sabo.
Related stories appear in today's New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/26/politics/26LIBR.html)
and Wall Street Journal. AIBS will continue to monitor and
act upon this situation.
The PLoS campaign is linked to the October launch of PLoS
Biology , a new peer-reviewed scientific journal that will
compete with prominent publications such as Science, Nature,
and Cell to publish the most significant works of biomedical
research. Unlike these established journals, all works published
by PLoS Biology will be immediately and freely available.
PLoS Biology is backed by a large group of the world's leading
scientists, including Nobel Laureate James Watson, Susan
Lindquist, E.O. Wilson, and Kai Simons. PLoS has also recruited
a team of leading scientists as academic editors who will
work with outstanding professional staff.
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