Something recently came up and I got a official warning at school, this isnt a poor me thing. But it might be interesting to hear views on it, actually the teacher that reported me did so because they had little choice. They personally think the rule is wrong and not the action, technically what I did was seen as illegal but it does raise a few questions.
Just in case some dont know about the system of journals etc he is a quick run down. The journal paper in question was science related.
When you publish a paper, the Journal CHARGES the person publishing ALOT of money to publish the paper. Most even charge extra if you want to put more than X number of graphs in for example.
Some journals charge depending on membership level, so a person who is a silver member might pay £20k a year for the membership, but only £200 to publish a paper Non members or actually subscribers, may have to pay over £1000 per paper to have it published. Obviously prices vary widely and mostly depend on the ranking of the journal, so getting something published in Nature would likely cost a great deal.
You do also have open access papers, but most journals still charge the paper author to publish it. Now lets say you go online and see a paper you want to read, for most people who are not in college or University the paper will cost something like £35 each (most science papers anyway). Yearly subscription to the journal is for normal people can be literally thousands. So the publishers charge both the author and the reader for the paper.
Science is supposed to be about sharing knowledge, according to my IT teacher the internet was made to share knowledge more easily. Now the paper in question downloaded legally by me, I used my school login and got the paper for school work I was doing. I printed it out to take home, all good so far. I used the paper in my work and referenced it.
Now the illegal bit, I am a technically a S5, but I am in the S6 class, so a 6th former. 6th formers have journal access in the library, but lower years dont (it costs too much). A friend saw the paper and asked to read it, I let him and he used it for his Biology project. Because he used alot of it he put a note on his work that the info came X paper from Y journal.
Anyway His teacher asked him where he got the paper from as he is a S5, he told him and the teacher checked the library records. I was the only person to download the paper, so I was asked if I had given him a copy. I said yes I lent him the copy I had printed off.
So what did I get in trouble for? COPY WRITE infringement!! But I dont get that, I was entitled to download the paper and to print it. So why is not ok to then let someone else read the paper copy?? Sure if I printed two then I might just about understand it. But say I go buy a magazine, no one has a problem if I lend it out, no one really blinks an eye if I photo copy an article to share.
So what is so special about journals, that sharing information that is supposedly meant to be shared, is classed as theft!! I got a smacked wrist and a record note, I also lost the login ability for one term. My own view is I would do it again and I see nothing I did as wrong. Keep in mind only one copy was ever printed and no one photocopied the paper copy.
So is this fair and just, or publishers ripping off people. I am just interested in how people view this kind of thing.
Just in case some dont know about the system of journals etc he is a quick run down. The journal paper in question was science related.
When you publish a paper, the Journal CHARGES the person publishing ALOT of money to publish the paper. Most even charge extra if you want to put more than X number of graphs in for example.
Some journals charge depending on membership level, so a person who is a silver member might pay £20k a year for the membership, but only £200 to publish a paper Non members or actually subscribers, may have to pay over £1000 per paper to have it published. Obviously prices vary widely and mostly depend on the ranking of the journal, so getting something published in Nature would likely cost a great deal.
You do also have open access papers, but most journals still charge the paper author to publish it. Now lets say you go online and see a paper you want to read, for most people who are not in college or University the paper will cost something like £35 each (most science papers anyway). Yearly subscription to the journal is for normal people can be literally thousands. So the publishers charge both the author and the reader for the paper.
Science is supposed to be about sharing knowledge, according to my IT teacher the internet was made to share knowledge more easily. Now the paper in question downloaded legally by me, I used my school login and got the paper for school work I was doing. I printed it out to take home, all good so far. I used the paper in my work and referenced it.
Now the illegal bit, I am a technically a S5, but I am in the S6 class, so a 6th former. 6th formers have journal access in the library, but lower years dont (it costs too much). A friend saw the paper and asked to read it, I let him and he used it for his Biology project. Because he used alot of it he put a note on his work that the info came X paper from Y journal.
Anyway His teacher asked him where he got the paper from as he is a S5, he told him and the teacher checked the library records. I was the only person to download the paper, so I was asked if I had given him a copy. I said yes I lent him the copy I had printed off.
So what did I get in trouble for? COPY WRITE infringement!! But I dont get that, I was entitled to download the paper and to print it. So why is not ok to then let someone else read the paper copy?? Sure if I printed two then I might just about understand it. But say I go buy a magazine, no one has a problem if I lend it out, no one really blinks an eye if I photo copy an article to share.
So what is so special about journals, that sharing information that is supposedly meant to be shared, is classed as theft!! I got a smacked wrist and a record note, I also lost the login ability for one term. My own view is I would do it again and I see nothing I did as wrong. Keep in mind only one copy was ever printed and no one photocopied the paper copy.
So is this fair and just, or publishers ripping off people. I am just interested in how people view this kind of thing.