Re: Elsevier Web Editions license

["Hunter, Karen (ELS)" <k.hunter@elsevier.com>]

Diana Zinnato started a discussion about the Elsevier ScienceDirect Web
Editions license.  While I believe her specific problem has been resolved,
I thought the readers of this list would be interested in the follow-up
steps we have taken.

The ScienceDirect Web Editions service is a free service we provide
institutional subscribers to most of our paper journals. The subscriber is
entitled to online access to the most recent nine months of the journal.  
This service is intended as a current awareness tool to complement the
paper and satisfy certain needs of both readers and authors.  It is not
intended to provide the searching, archiving and other enhancements of the
full ScienceDirect service.

The tight link between paper subscription and electronic access led to
license language that said "access is limited to the library where the
subscribed journals are held."  Our intent was to better understand the
relationship between subscriptions and users.  However, as Diana Zinnato
found, this language runs counter to expectations, even for a free
service.  That led to discussion, negotiation and stress on all sides.

After further consideration of the purpose of the service, the diversity
of our subscribers and the desire for simplicity in a standard license, we
have decided to experiment with removing this specific provision.  We will
do this because we want to move to a license that is consistent with
library practices and that can be agreed-to online (click-through),
reducing costs on both sides.  This is particularly appropriate for a free
service.  We trust this change -- which will be implemented shortly --
will make access to Web Editions easier for all concerned.

Karen Hunter
Senior Vice President
Elsevier Science