RE: Institutional subscription question

["John Cox" <John.E.Cox@btinternet.com>]

The strictly legal position would apply in both cases, as the 
terms and conditions of a personal subscription apply to both the 
current year and previous years.  The complimentary subscription 
provided to editors and members of editorial boards are provided 
for personal use.  In any case, most editors that I know pay 
great attention to subscription numbers and want to support the 
journal; they are generally unlikely to use their copies to 
donate to the library.  If this was not generally true, 
publishers would have a real problem with libraries being flooded 
with donated copies.

The strictly legal position is fairly clear.  What publishers 
would do about it is another matter, and here common sense makes 
an appearance.  Publishers would be concerned to protect their 
business if current material is being donated - in my estimation, 
this means this year and probably the prior two years. 
Publishers are unlikely to worry if individual issues are donated 
to replace missing back issues.  Neither would they worry about 
personal journal holdings being left to the library in a faculty 
member's will.  What they are concerned about is actual 
substitution of an institutional subscription by a current 
personal subscription.

There may be more smoke than fire to this matter.  Most libraries 
are migrating to online collections and discontinuing print. 
Over 90% of journals are now available online.  The 
authentication process for institutional and personal online 
subscriptions enables the publisher to distinguish between the 
two, and prevent any 'crossover'.

All the publisher is trying to do is protect its business.  The 
law provides measures that can be taken, if it so wishes, to 
protect that position.

John Cox

Managing Director
John Cox Associates Ltd
Rookwood, Bradden
TOWCESTER, Northants NN12 8ED
United Kingdom
E-mail: John.E.Cox@btinternet.com
Web: www.johncoxassociates.com