Elsevier licence offer contravenes open access and fair pricing for scientific publications

"Following several months of intensive negotiations, academic publisher Elsevier has submitted an initial offer for a nationwide licence for access to scientific publications to the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany. In the opinion of the Alliance, this offer does not comply with the principles of open access and fair pricing. Despite its current profit margin of 40 percent, the publisher is still intent on pursuing price increases that are higher than the licence fees paid until now. The publisher rejects more transparent business models that are based on the publication service and would make publications more openly accessible....The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany rejects Elsevier’s offer. It calls on the publisher to submit a transparent and sustainable offer and to resume negotiations. The Alliance goes on to say that the reputation of the publisher is largely based on the mostly unpaid work of scientists and that this should be reflected in the business relations...."