RE: News Release: Project Transfer

["Ian Russell" <ian.russell@cytherean.co.uk>]

Possibly true.  But often journals that are transferred are losing money and
increasing the subscription price is necessary in order for them to become
profitable - there are plenty of occasions where the alternative to the
transfer of a journal and a subsequent hike in price has been closure of the
title.  At least if the journal is transferred the market has a choice which
it wouldn't have if the journal went out of business.

Ian Russell
ALPSP

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-liblicense-
> l@lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Joseph J. Esposito
> Sent: 10 May 2007 22:39
> To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
> Subject: Re: News Release: Project Transfer
>
> The proposed Code of Practice appears to be a good idea.  It may
> have some unintended consequences, however, which participants in
> scholarly communications may wish to consider.
>
> The Code is for "Journals Transferring Between Publishers."  You
> may well ask why journals transfer.  There are many reasons, but
> to name just a few: money, access to technology, new managment,
> and marketing.  While there are exceptions, transfers typically
> occur from small publishers to larger ones (which may themselves
> be not-for-profit) and often from not-for-profit publishers to
> commercial organizations.
>
> Members of this list may wish to confirm or challenge my
> hypothesis that journals that transfer are more likely to have
> above-average price increases than journals that do not transfer.
>
> Thus the Code, which facilitates transfer, is likely to result in
> a smooth transfer AND higher prices.  Is the Code a good idea?
> Yes.  Are higher prices a good idea?  It depends on whether you
> are buying or selling.
>
> Joe Esposito
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Acreman, Beverley" <Beverley.Acreman@tandf.co.uk>
> To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 8:50 AM
> Subject: News Release: Project Transfer
>
>
>> UKSG Working Group "Project Transfer" invites Publishers to
>> sign-up to an agreed Code of Practice to Improve Procedures for
>> Journals Transferring Between Publishers
>>
>> Oxford, UK - 9th May 2007- Project Transfer is inviting
>> publishers to sign up to a Code of Practice which aims to improve
>> the procedures and policies surrounding the transfer of journals
>> between publishers. The Code has been drafted with extensive help
>> from many of the major international publishing houses and has
>> already been applauded as an excellent step forward by the
>> contributing library community.
>>
>> The Code outlines a set of guidelines for both the Transferring
>> and the Receiving publisher in any journal transfer.
>> Comprehensive in its detail, the Code covers the thorny issues of
>> ongoing access provision to online content, exchange of
>> subscriber lists, DOI and URL transfer as well as the division
>> and definition of born-digital versus newly digitized backfile
>> content.
>>
>> The Project Transfer Working Group is inviting publishers to sign
>> up to this Code through the Project website:
>> <http://www.projecttransfer.org/> where the Code of Practice can
>> also be found. Full details of the Code were launched at the UKSG
>> Annual Conference in Warwick (16-18 April 2007).
>>
>> More information is available on the UKSG website: www.uksg.org/transfer
>>
>> Bev Acreman
>> pp UKSG
>>