Hi All! >Today I received the latest edition of _Journal Profiles_, the "guide to >journals & periodicals published by: The Gordon and Breach Publishing >Group". I was eager to see something in writing which describes their >pricing policies... >I'm almost certain that my copy of this catalog is defective in that there >are no prices listed for any of the titles. However, their order form >"Journal Order Form" in the back of the catalog does mention the base list >rate. Last week, the director of the library asked us to investigate the G&B "thing." I had already requested a current price list from IPD and recieved a copy of the 1995 JOURNALS PRICE LIST. The price list has a pink cover and as you would expect, lists all journal titles with prices effective 15 August 1994. In my files, I had _Newsletter on Serials Pricing_ issue numbers 125, 126, and 129, all of which cover the G&B licensing issue (the best and most concise source of information so far, has been _Newsletter_ #129 by Ann Okerson). In addition, the the IPD letter from Mr. Fort posted on SERIALST on 23 December was still in my email. Even with all of the above, there was still some confusion regarding our 6 subscriptions and many questions: Which subscription rate had we paid? Was it the correct one for our library? and How were we to know that we were paying for this license? There were other questions as well, but these were the "important" ones. We struggled through all of the informtion I had in my files, and ended up calling the publisher. I spoke with Luigi Fort on Friday, 13 Jan. I expect to receive a summary of our conversation from him sometime this week. The conversation was revealing and I learned several things (quotes taken from my notes): (1) This library is paying the Photocopy License Rate and in general, most academic libraries pay the Photocopy License Rate. (2) The Network Rate is 3 - 6 times the Photocopy License Rate. (3) The Academic Base Rate is CONTRACTUAL, but is "not trying to supercede National copyright laws" according to Mr. Fort. It is a signed waiver form which "confirms the libraries photocopying policy", again according to Mr. Fort. (4) Only the libraries which would be affected by the Network Rate were selected by the publisher to be notified of the rating system. >Have any of you received information (in writing) which describes the >pricing schemes in a more meaningful, perhaps official language? There is a table entitled "Subscription Rate Explanation" in the back of the Journals Price List. It lists what is ALLOWED by each type of subscription rate. THE MAJOR AND IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE IN THIS CHART IS THAT THE ACADEMIC LIBRARY BASE RATE DOES NOT ALLOW "INTER-LIBRARY LENDING (BETWEEN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES ONLY)" BUT THE ACADEMIC LIBRARY PHOTOCOPY LICENSE RATE DOES ALLOWS ILL. There is a paragraph below the chart in the Price List which reads: "Through payment at the above rates, the subscriber warrants that it will only use the publication in accordance with the usage-privileges associated with the paid rate and that these usage-privileges are governed by Swiss Law. Publisher and subscriber agree that any conflice arising from the useexceeding the uses allowed for the paid rate shall be handled by an arbitrator appointed by the Zurich Chamber of Commerce according to its rules of arbitration." Read the fine print on your invoices - the lower left states "This invoice includes a License to photocopy. (please see notice on reverse)." It also says nothing about adhering to Swiss Law, rather it refers to a seemingly generic "national laws". The Photocopy License on the back of all of our invoices has the same wording as the Photocopy License in each of the latest issues of our G&B journals. This is not the what that Christie Deneger found with her subscriptions (see _Newsletter on Serials Pricing_ #126). That little paragraph in the Journals Price List says something different than what I was told on the phone by Mr. Fort, as I was told that the rates are not designed to supercede U.S. copyright law. There is summary information in the paragraphs preceding the "Subscription Rate Explanation" chart about the Photocopy License and Network rates. Basically, the rate structure according to the Price List chart is very clear, however the publisher has contradicted itself in written word and spoken word each and every time I have stumbled across something which attempts to explain the different rates. Soapbox: The journals published by G&B are necessary journals in some libraries, and seem to be of fairly high-quality. Now, I don't use them myself but the five titles we had in 1994 did get used. What I do know is that the publisher made a big mistake in not contacting each and every academic library on its subscriber list, giving them the facts, and allowing us (the customer) to make educated decisions regarding our subscriptions. My director has the facts, but we have not met to discuss them. I cannot even begin to make a guess as to what this library will do in the future regarding these subscriptions, but speaking personally, I will watching IPD and Gordon & Breach to see what they will be doing in the future. Paula M. Lynch email: Collection Managment Librarian lynch1@jeflin.tju.edu Scott Memorial Library phone: Thomas Jefferson University (215) 955-8406 1020 Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA 10107-5587
