This isn't just about solidarity with one of my SciBlings, Shelley at Retrospectacle, although I am glad and proud to stand with her on this. It's about a matter of principle. I still have steam coming out of my ears. Here's the story.
A couple of days ago Shelley posted about antioxidants in fruit drinks. She knew about it because the publishers of the journal, the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, the execrable publicrats John Wiley & Sons, broadcast press releases that said adding alcohol to fruits makes them healthier by boosting natural antioxidant action. Not incidentally, it also increases shelf life. Shelley is a scientist and her readers are interested in science. Unlike the press release-based puff pieces in the traditional media, she actually wanted to include some science:
The method was simple. Include a piece of soaked blot paper (saturated with a natural volatile) within a closed container of berries and wait 7 and 14 days at 4 degrees C. Antioxidant levels were examined before and after, and decay was measured visually. Results of treatment conditions and decay are below.
Except the chart and graph she reproduced from the paper, a chart and graph containing data collected with taxpayer money, aren't there now. That's because the lawyers from John Wiley & Sons demanded she take it down:
Re: Antioxidants in Berries Increased by Ethanol (but Are Daiquiris Healthy?) by Shelly Bats[sic]http://scienceblogs.com/retrospectacle/2007/04/antioxidants_in_berries_increa.php
The above article contains copyrighted material in the form of a table and graphs taken from a recently published paper in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. If these figures are not removed immediately, lawyers from John Wiley & Sons will contact you with further action.
Regards,
[Update: We have removed the contact info from the staffer who sent the letter. It is distressing to hear she received some abusive email.]
W: www.soci.orgSCI - where science meets business
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Read Shelley's reply and what happened next at the link. I would only add this. Let's leave the argument about expropriated taxpayer supported science aside (I think it's a serious issue, but I'll pass on it here). Let's also leave aside the question of whether what Shelley did was or was not "Fair Use" under the distorted copywrong laws of the US (also a very serious issue).
This is about providing scientific information on a science blog. Not by press release. By actually citing the data. As Shelley points out, there is no problem if she makes her own graph. It was just reproducing the graph in the paper. In other words, John Wiley & Sons was erecting a cumbersome obstacle for a blogger to show the data without really eliminating the possibility. If I were the authors I would be apoplectic with outrage. I imagine they are like most scientists. They want their work to be cited, used, noticed. If I published in a journal that made that more difficult, I wouldn't publish there any more. Why would I publish in a journal whose publisher made it tough for other people to publicize my work, not for credit or recognition -- because I want people to know about it. That's one of the main reasons I publish my results.
John Wiley & Sons. Anti-science publishers.
Update, 4/26/07: Wiley has capitulated in this case, citing a "misunderstanding." See Shelley's post here. On the other hand, the underlying cause is still there. We have only treated a symptom. This kind of behavior from an "academic" publisher is intolerable and is an abuse of the copyright privilege. Both the journal and the publisher are to blame. We need to make this kind of behavior the third rail for a scientific publisher or journal.
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Comments
Many of the papers I find in researching Leishmaniasis are only available if I want to pay for them. Almost all of these reports are done by persons on the NIH, Walter Reed payroll. The fees are not reasonable.
This information is vital to myself, my family, and to the public all of whom have paid for the research.
Posted by: Marcie Clark | April 26, 2007 10:22 AM
I wonder whether this represents some actual policy decision of Wiley, or just someone in the legal department who wanted to justify his salary by being seen to do something. ("Hmmm, what the heck do I put on my accomplishments list for this year....aha, I've got it: 'Defended company intellectual property from evil internet bloggers.'")
Posted by: albatross | April 26, 2007 11:48 AM
Marcie, Revere, Alba. Shelley has just posted that they have revisited their decision based upon the amount of email or support that Shel got. She can now post what she wants too.
Now about those Tripoli guys.........
Posted by: M.Randolph Kruger | April 26, 2007 12:51 PM
Randy: Waiting to hear about Tripoli 6. Will bring it to you as soon as I hear something.
Posted by: revere | April 26, 2007 01:03 PM