French digital bill 'threatens journals collapse', say publishers

The French book and specialist press publishers associations have warned that a digital bill to be presented to parliament today (19th January) could destroy French academic publishing, because of its short open access embargo periods.

Article 17 of the bill entitled "For a Digital Republic" requires researchers to offer open access after six months (instead of 12 months in the initial draft) for papers in the hard sciences, technology and medicine, and after 12 months (instead of 24) for those in the humanities and social sciences.
 
In a joint statement, the Syndicat National de l’Edition (SNE) and the Fédération National de la Presse d’Information Spécialisée (FNPS) said that the text could also become the “gravedigger” for French academic research. 

Researchers will be encouraged to offer open access for their publications so rapidly that most French and foreign academic institutions will be tempted to unsubscribe from French journals and the market will collapse, the statement said.

“Against the advice of the Council of State, and without any serious impact study after so-called consultations, in contrast with practices in other countries, the Minister of State for Digital Affairs (Axelle Lemaire) is taking the responsibility to destroy independent French scientific publishing, and accelerate the concentration and state control over the sector.”
 
Publishers are for open access in principle, but a viable economic balance “will be impossible find with the delays imposed by the bill,” the statement added. “French and French-language research is being sacrificed in favour of the Internet giants that exploit content in which they have invested absolutely nothing.”