[Scholarly Communication] 

The California Digital Library (CDL) has added the Nature Publishing Group to its Challenges to Licensing web page, which highlights problematic publishers.

Three issues have prompted renewed concerns in 2007: (1) unsustainable long-term pricing-- UC experienced a 65% increase in the cost for Nature in 2007; (2) lack of full disclosure of how Nature calculates pricing; and (3) confidentiality provisions in Nature license agreements that prevent open discussion of the pricing model with other library colleagues and even within the UC community. In addition, the CDL continues to have concerns over a lack of perpetual rights and the right to archive subscribed e-journals.

Given these concerns, adding future Nature Publishing Group titles to CDL or campus licenses is discouraged at this time. For more information, visit the CDL's Challenges to Licensing page.

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