By Martijn van Calmthout

Amsterdam
It is far too early to tell whether this will amount to an Academic Spring, but a growing number of scholars have publicly stated their determination to act against the Elsevier publishing company.
Since last weekend, over 1,700 scholars signed an on-line petition stating they would no longer publish in Elsevier's journals, including various highly reputed titles. The scholars, among whom are many mathematicians, computer scientists and biologists, also state they will refuse to join editorial boards of Elsevier journals, and will not cooperate in reviewing submitted papers. Some Dutch scholars have also joined the action. Elsevier (turnover $ 2 Blln.) publishes some two thousand academic journals, including top titles as The Lancet and Cell.
Main complaint against Elsevier are the subscription rates charged for such scientific journals, called exorbitant by critics. The scholars who form the editorial boards of the various titles usually do so voluntarily without pay. Reviewers of submitted papers also contribute their efforts on a voluntary basis. After publication, the publisher and not the author holds the copyright for the articles. In a statement on Monday Elsevier said it 'respected authors' freedom of choice', but that the facts presented in the petition are 'not correct'. 'Access to information is broader than ever, the cost per article lower than ever'. 
The petition on  thecostofknowledge.com was launched last week by a blog of British mathematician Tim Gowers, who protested Elsevier's involvement in US legislation forbidding public research to be freely disseminated.
Media scientist Mark Deuze, now affiliated to Indiana University al Bloomington, says he signed the petition because of the way Elsevier dominates learning. 'And it's unnecessary, thanks in particular to new media. The whole system can function wonderfully without an expensive publisher being part of it. There is now an alternative'.
(Translated for TU/e IEC website by Erik Geelen)

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