Sorting out the OA policy proposals from the UK

“Graham Taylor of the Publishers Association just released a doc attempting to clarify the points on which the recent OA policy announcements from the UK agree and disagree. ‘There appears to be considerable confusion around what Janet Finch said in her Report, what David Willetts endorsed in his Letter, and what the latest RCUK Policy actually proposes in relation to a number of issues. After consultation with our membership, this paper sets out to clarify what we perceive the publishers’ position to be on these issues....’ I recommend a close reading. You may not like the policy that comes into focus here. But so far (I'm still digesting) it's consistent with my own reading of the primary documents and conversations with the players. It doesn't address a couple of points on which I'd still like clarification. Both concern RCUK-funded authors who publish in fee-based OA journals, but whose universities decide (for whatever reason) not to use their gold OA funds to pay the APC on their behalf. (1) May they make their work green OA? Or are they bound to pursue the gold option, and seek APC funds elsewhere, pay out of pocket, or go unpublished? If green is permissible in this situation, then where does the permission come from if the journal does not itself grant it? Who decides the embargo? Who decides the licensing terms or reuse rights? (2)Must they make their work green OA? Is there a background green OA mandate for cases in which gold OA cannot be made to work?”