MONETIZING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: A DEEP DIVE INTO AIP'S COPYRIGHT NAVIGATION

Abstract

This paper delves into the transformation of pricing mechanisms for financing scholarly communication in the field of physics throughout the twentieth century. While historical accounts have extensively covered shifts in physicist numbers, research types, and scholarly society infrastructures due to major events like World War II and the Cold War, the evolution of pricing strategies in response to changing research funding sources and intellectual property environments remains understudied. Drawing from archival records of the American Institute of Physics (AIP), this study explores how AIP adapted its pricing mechanisms amidst declining revenue from author page charges and reader subscriptions. Specifically, it investigates the AIP's initiatives to generate new revenue streams by asserting ownership and management of copyrights.

The paper commences with an examination of the legitimization of page charge pricing by the AIP during the 1930s. It then traces the decline in revenue from this source during the 1960s and scrutinizes the scholarly society's responses to amendments in copyright laws during the 1970s. Subsequently, it outlines the implications of the revised copyright law enacted in 1976 and the policies implemented by the AIP in light of these changes to potentially monetize access to scholarly articles. The paper concludes by discussing the role played by the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) in the immediate aftermath of the 1976 Copyright Act.

Throughout this historical analysis, it becomes evident that while the CCC initially failed to deliver substantial revenue to the AIP, it laid the groundwork for the AIP to harness significant income in the electronic era of scholarly communication. This study sheds light on the adaptive strategies employed by scholarly institutions and publishers to navigate evolving funding landscapes and intellectual property frameworks, ultimately influencing the pricing mechanisms that sustain the dissemination of knowledge in the field of physics.