Re: Graphing the Bergstrom and McAfee Journal Pricing Data

["Joseph J. Esposito" <espositoj@gmail.com>]

I don't wish to engage the substance of this debate, but I will clarify 
one business point.

* There are three, not two, structural categories.  A journal publisher 
can remain independent (category #1).

* A journal publisher can license rights, usually for a limited period of 
time, to a larger publisher. That larger publisher essentially becomes THE 
publisher:  setting prices, etc.

* The third category is when the journal publisher forms a distribution 
(not publishing) relationship with a larger publisher.  The larger 
publisher makes its operations available to the smaller 
publisher--essentially it sells services.  But the smaller publisher still 
controls pricing and many aspects of marketing.  Such distribution 
agreements often have shorter terms than full-fledged publishing 
agreements.  Apparently Lisa Dittrich's organization has a distribution 
agreement with a larger publisher.

None of this challenges the core of Bergstrom and McAfee's findings, as 
far as I can tell:  Most of the time most commercial operations charge 
more than most not-for-profit organizations.  I don't think this is a 
startling claim.

Joe Esposito