Re: Peggy Hoon on licenses

[Joseph Esposito <espositoj@gmail.com>]

Chuck,

I see that Netflix recently published an analysis of the best 
ISPs for video downloads.  This got the attention of every ISP 
that was mentioned.  How about a crowdsourced ranking system on 
preferred vendors based on various criteria, including trading 
policies and contracts?

Joe Esposito

On Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 6:56 PM, Hamaker, Charles 
<cahamake@uncc.edu> wrote:

> I wonder how we get to the people who actually write these
> licenses. I can't imagine that CEO's actually know what they are
> saying to the primary customers with what are insulting or
> illegal or just plain bad business practices. An enormous amount
> of the goodwill in the development with publisher's over the last
> decade is being undercut by outrageous demands being seen in
> license agreements.
>
> Would a series of workshops perhaps in three parts, one on
> negative terms that are deal breakers, one on terms libraries
> like and a third on library terms publishers don't like sponsored
> perhaps by SSP or NASIG or ARL or NISO or some group of
> organizations get to the CEO's and lawyers who are actually
> responsible for these things? I doubt they can get together
> themselves, that would be seen I believe as monopolistic
> behavior, but perhaps a third party can do it? I don't think
> there are enough consultants in the industry worldwide to get to
> all of them. And they don't seem to be getting to best of
> practice on their own. What we have done as groups or individuals
> isn't getting through even to the largest publishers in spite of
> the best efforts of a whole host of voices.
>
> If not amenable to any joint action perhaps for legal reasons,
> then perhaps we need well advertised sessions at several major
> conferences?
>
> Chuck Hamaker
> UNC Charlotte
> Atkins Library
>