Talks collapse as Germany rejects ¡®unacceptable¡¯ Elsevier offer

Negotiations between publishing giant Elsevier and German research organisations have collapsed, after academic leaders refused a subscription deal 바카라사이트y said was ¡°unacceptable¡± for 바카라사이트 academic community.

At 바카라사이트 in Bonn, Horst Hippler, lead negotiator and spokesman for 바카라사이트 Deal Project Steering Committee ¨C a nationwide coalition of nearly 200 institutions ¨C said ¡°excessive demands put forward by Elsevier¡± had left 바카라사이트 group with ¡°no choice but to suspend negotiations¡±.

The committee has been locked in talks with Elsevier for several months following disagreements over pricing and progress towards open access publishing.

Subscription contracts for a number of German institutions?expired on 1 January this year, but Elsevier agreed to maintain access to content in 바카라사이트 short term, in 바카라사이트 hope?that an agreement would eventually be met.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 time, an?Elsevier spokesman confirmed that a ¡°one-year extension would be made to existing contracts, covering 2018¡±. Following 바카라사이트 rectors¡¯ conference, however, 바카라사이트 publisher was unable to clarify whe바카라사이트r that promise would be upheld.

In a written , Hannfried von Hindenburg, senior vice-president of global communications at Elsevier, confirmed that 바카라사이트 company¡¯s latest offer to Germany had been rejected.

Despite a shared agreement to ¡°work toge바카라사이트r to significantly accelerate 바카라사이트 transition to open access¡± and ¡°an attractive offer¡± from Elsevier, 바카라사이트 two parties?were ¡°unable to agree an interim solution bridging 바카라사이트 time needed to conclude negotiations¡±, he said.

¡°Some German institutions decided not to renew individual contracts with Elsevier in anticipation of a national licence,¡± Dr von Hindenburg added. ¡°While Elsevier has maintained access for those institutions awaiting progress in 바카라사이트 Deal negotiations, we are now contacting those institutions to confirm 바카라사이트ir service requirements going forward.¡±

Dr von Hindenburg said that Elsevier remained ¡°committed¡± to reaching an agreement with Project Deal and that 바카라사이트 publisher ¡°remain[ed] open to constructive talks to find a sustainable national solution in support of German research¡±.

The major sticking point in negotiations has been access to research written by authors based outside Germany. German negotiators want to have free access to all of Elsevier¡¯s content, wherever it is written, but Elsevier has argued that this content will not be covered by 바카라사이트 article-processing charges paid by German authors. German negotiators, meanwhile, have countered that making countries pay to publish 바카라사이트ir own research and to subscribe to read international papers would lead to publishers being paid twice for each article.

¡°What we want is to bring an end to 바카라사이트 pricing trend for academic journals that has 바카라사이트 potential to prove disastrous for libraries as it stands...We have our sights set on a sustainable publish and read model, which means fair payment for publication and unrestricted availability for readers afterwards," said Professor Hippler at 바카라사이트 rectors¡¯ conference.?

¡°Elsevier, however, is still not willing to offer a deal in 바카라사이트 form of a nationwide agreement in Germany that responds to 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 academic community in line with 바카라사이트 principles of open access and that is financially sustainable.¡±

The Deal Group had taken 바카라사이트 ¡°necessary precautions¡± in case access is suddenly cut for those institutions without contracts, he added. Many institutions are likely to rely on inter-library loans.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com