Elsevier's Publishing Model Might be About to Go Up in Smoke - Forbes

"However, there’s something hapening that might change this, for Reed Elsevier shareholders, quite delightful position. That is, a revolt of the academics who provide both the papers and the readership. A start was made by British mathematician Tim Gowers, in a blog post here. That wasn’t the very start, but it looks like one of those pebbles that starts the avalanche rather than the one that just tumbles down the hillside....I have a feeling that this will indeed lead to some fairly major changes in the way that Elsevier is able to run its journal publishing division. At least, I rather hope so, for the entire cost base and financial structure is outmoded in this internet age. There’s a wider lesson here too though. Consumer sovereignty isn’t just some theoretical abstraction. However great the lock your business model might impose on the actions of those consumers, however great the collective action problems in trying to escape your grip, it is possible for them to do so if they get sufficiently riled up to really try...."