Copyright Versus Open Access
On the Organisation and International Political Economy of Access to Scientific Knowledge

Authors: Marc Scheufen



Presents an economic analysis of the role of copyright in academic publishing

Compares the classic copyright regime with an open access regime and studies the consequences of a regime change

Offers insights into the international scientific journal market by analyzing the role of authors, publishers, and academic institutions

This book addresses the recent debate about copyright law and its impact on the distribution of scientific knowledge from an economic perspective. The focus is on the question whether a copyright regime or an open access regime is better suited to the norms and organizational structure in a purely global science community. The book undertakes a thorough economic analysis of the academic journal market and showcases consequences of a regime change. It also takes account of the Digital Divide debate, reflecting issues in developing countries. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of legal action in the light of international Intellectual Property (IP) agreements offers prospects on the future of academic publishing.  

Table of contents

Front Matter

Introduction

Some Fundamental Economics

Academic Journal Publishing and the Open Access Movement

On the Access Principle in Science: A Law and Economics Analysis

The Future of Academic Publishing

Conclusions and Further Research

Appendix

Back Matter