Legal and Illegal paths for open access: An exploration of the controversies

Abstract

Unconsented sharing of scientifi c papers generates notable controversies between agents that violate copyrights and publishers, the copyright holders. However, this phenomenon also generates tensions even with the Open Access Movement, that traditionally advocates that the barriers to open access be overturned exclusively by legal mechanisms. In this paper, the controversies related to the unconsented sharing of scientifi c studies protected by copyrights are explored. The aim of this discussion is to demonstrate the existence of this public debate, showing the several quarrels for space and the related narratives. The crisis generated in the Open Access Movement by the recent development of illegal initiatives that managed to promote free access to almost all scientifi c literature is here considered.