Twists and Turns

In the name of academic freedom, copyright in scientific works is entrusted to their researcher-authors. However, academics are strongly incentivized to publish their works in proprietary subscription journals, access to which universities and other research institutions are obliged to pay. The Open Access movement attempts to push back by encouraging or requiring researchers to release copyright in their works openly. While this has given rise to objections based on academic freedom, whether Open Access is compatible with academic freedom is a question that should be approached via a principled examination of the purpose and scope that freedom.