Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 11:13:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: belmonte@MIT.EDU (Matthew Belmonte)
To: CapuanoHR8@aol.com
Subject: co-sponsor HR 2613, the Public Access to Science Act

Dear Representative Capuano

As a research scientist and as a family member of two people with autism, I
write to urge you to co-sponsor HR 2613, a bill to exclude federally funded
scientific research from copyright protection.  Scientific publishers hold
an almost complete monopoly on the dissemination of scientific findings, and
they have exploited this monopoly to the detriment of scientists and the
public.  As the costs of access to scientific journals have increased
exponentially, publishers' profit margins have soared.  Members of the public,
having already paid with their taxes for scientific research, are forced to
pay for it again if they want to see the results.  Those of us whose family
members suffer from autism or other diseases are often desperate for
information on new therapies, yet we are being priced out of the market for
access to such information.

This unfairness in the dissemination of scientific results is not limited to
the lay public.  Scientists also suffer, being forced to devote great time and
expense to purchase copies of scientific papers from publishers, or to borrow
them from other institutions.  The rigamarole that we are forced to go through
in order to obtain copies of scientific papers significantly retards the
progress of science, and thereby impacts the public good.

Publishers will complain about any copyright exclusion for government-funded
work, but the truth is that this system has existed in other countries for a
very long time, and it hasn't put publishers out of business.  In Britain, for
example, research funded by the government falls under Crown Copyright, and
publishers consequently are unable to claim copyright on such works.  Yet the
journals that publish these works still receive subscriptions, because their
editorial reputations ensure a high standard of quality and thereby add value
those papers that are selected for publication.

By excluding federally funded scientific research from copyright, HR 2613 would
speed the pace of scientific progress and would balance the interests of
publishers with those of the taxpayers who fund scientific research.  I
sincerely hope that you'll co-sponsor this important legislation.

Regards

Matthew Belmonte
[address]