David Goodman's post

["Joseph J. Esposito" <espositoj@worldnet.att.net>]

While I don't share what I take to be the drift of David Goodman's post, I
will reply to two of his comments:

>I'd also expect lower industrial use for less important journals: 
>universities have been by themselves carrying the burden of minor titles.

JE:  Careful here:  in the absence of the data, no one knows.  One (and
only one) corporate library I am familiar with keeps a database of
publications from competitors' research labs, and many of these articles
find their way into "less important journals," at least as university
libraries may classify them.

>Joe, having asserted that this data must be kept confidential for
>competitive reasons, show an hypothetical example where it makes a
>competitive difference.  The only plausible one I see is to conceal a
>rapidly falling market share in some sector so that it does not fall
>further.

JE:  I didn't assert this point quite so strongly, but sales data are
generally regarded as having high competitive importance.  Knowledge of
what competitors are selling--and, more importantly, where they are
selling it--can change marketing tactics, result in the redevelopment of
strategic plans, and lead to key recruitments.  Some examples:  For years
the office-products channel had only two book publishers (Merriam-Webster
and Houghton Mifflin) servicing it.  Because of this, no one outside those
firms knew how many dictionaries were sold in the U.S.  This affected the
planning at Random House, which ultimately closed down their dictionary
operation.  Or there is the K-12 school supply channel, which is a major
venue for supplemental educational materials.  There are executives at the
major education publishers who literally can't name the catalogue
companies in this channel.  Why would a competitor want to tell them?  
And, of course, what is the best way to open up a new sales channel?  
Hire the salesperson from a successful competitor.

The point to be made about commercial sales is that in an OA regime,
research institutions and their funders will have to pay more, probably
much more, for what they are getting now.  OA will happen, but not this
way.

Joe Esposito