Copyright Issues
You may have lost control over your communication system by transferring your intellectual property to commercial publishers. Publishers often require you to transfer your copyright as a condition of publication. You may then have to ask permission, and perhaps even pay a royalty, to send reprints to colleagues, distribute copies to your classes, include your own work in a course pack, post your work on your own Web site, or even update an earlier edition of your work.
The ownership of your work is a key factor in the ability of some commercial publishers to charge exorbitant subscription rates, thereby restricting the number of people who will see, and cite, your work. Consider the irony of Michigan State University and taxpayers having to buy back the research that they funded. Consider the irony of you having to pay to include your own work in a course pack.
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As an author, reviewer, or editor, you can sometimes modify a contract with a commercial publisher to ensure your right to use your work as you see fit, including posting it to a public archive or your own Web site.
- Work with a publisher like BioMed Central (see New publishing models) that does not require you to relinquish your copyright.
- Encourage your university to take a more active role in copyright management by advising or requiring you to retain certain rights when publishing journal articles.