The Copyright

It makes sense to discuss the history of copyright before open access. This chapter will establish the background for context. In order to understand the significance of open access repositories, it would be reasonable to be aware of the relevant debate. Therefore, it is necessary to trace the historical development of the concept of copyright as a property right. The continued relevance of the rationales for copyright interests, both philosophical and pragmatic, will be assessed in the contemporary times of digital publishing.

The Evolving Role of Commercial Publishers and the Future of Online Access Repositories

Since the modes of publishing content have changed in the digital age, OA practice could be an effective response towards the challenges generated by the ongoing technological advancements. It could respond to the competing concerns of copyright protection and equitable access to information, simultaneously. This final chapter analyzes the interconnections between commercial publisher and author interests and argues that OARs could be considered as an instrument towards common benefits. In the context of continuous technological growth, OA could also be seen as an alternative instrument for the protection of intellectual property to facilitate modern or digital publishing and benefit publisher and intellectual creator, as well. Traditionally, commercial publishers are gatekeepers of the standards of merit of academic works even though they get almost all of the profits. However, while they rely on academics' expertise to remain commercially viable, they do not pay for this expertise, appropriately. In contemporary days it is feasible for authors to not rely on commercial publishers. It is, therefore, in the interests of commercial publishers that academics keep publishing with them. As gatekeepers of standards of merit, they can benefit the academic world and remain viable themselves. This claim will be substantiated with examples of relevant licensing forms and other initiatives of OA.

The Green Open Access

This chapter considers green open access (e.g., OARs). OARs constitute a contemporary response regarding the dissemination of information. Thus, it is important to examine theoretical arguments about the desirability of OARs in the digital age. The chapter argues that OARs could be seen as a form of social justice towards strengthening social cohesion in modern societies. The argument relies on the concept of public policy as one means of achieving social justice. The discussion about OARs aligns with public policy, and social justice considerations should be examined. Additionally, the chapter demonstrates that public policy should concentrate on social cohesion, whereas open access could be considered as an instrument towards social cohesion. The chapter is divided into three broad topics. First, two main justifications for access to knowledge are addressed: (1) the philosophical justification, based on the concept that knowledge is power, and it is significant that everyone has access to knowledge; and (2) the pragmatic justification that it is impractical to enforce copyright in the traditional sense in this digital age. Second, the concept of social justice and relevant theories are considered. Third, theories concerning connections between public policy and social justice towards social cohesion are examined.

Examining the Governance Framework of OARs in Greece as a European Case Study

In modern times, technological development is continuous, and one of its distinctive features is open access, which has been greatly discussed in the preceding chapter. The literature reflects that open access practice is distinguished from a variety of instruments, and the most renowned is OARs. This chapter's analysis is designed to juxtapose the European copyright framework with copyright in a domestic context. Additionally, the chapter examines the status of OARs in Greece and proposes potential changes to improve its governance framework.

Open Access in Practice

The basic scope of the European Union is the political and economic unification through harmonisation of European Member States' national regulations and associated frameworks. Should the European Union aim to harmonise and unify these national regulations, it is only reasonable to do so through copyright-specific policy provisions implemented by the European countries. The European copyright regime could potentially facilitate open access practice, should this practice be tailored to policy-making actors regarding the European copyright law framework. This chapter examines efforts and initiatives made by the European institutions (e.g., European Commission, European Parliament) in order to construct a coherent copyright framework for the European Union Members.

Introduction

This chapter is divided into seven parts. In part one, the background context of the thesis is discussed briefly. In the following part, the thesis argument and research questions are articulated. There is examination of the theoretical background in part three. Part four briefly analyses regulatory models for OARs. In part five, a preliminary literature review and justifications for and against OA practices are addressed. Part six determines the methodology applied and the last part explains the thesis plan.