[KarlInOhio]

One such piece of legislation was introduced in the Senate last year by Senators Joseph Liebermann, I-Conn., and John Cornyn, R-Texas that would require any published paper derived from U.S.-government-backed research to be published online within six months. PubMed Central, published by NIH--a federal institution--has come under especially intense fire. Their efforts have been dubbed "socialized science,"

Like the old joke says"... we've already determined what you are, now we're just negotiating on the price." If the government is funding the research it is already socialized science. If you want to keep your research private or limit its release, then privately fund it yourself or come to a contract with a private grantor or investor. If you want to research on the public dime, then that research (and the patents associated with it) should be freely released. Don't make me pay for it and then expect to privately profit from it.

[Logophile]

Like the old joke says"... we've already determined what you are, now we're just negotiating on the price." If the government is funding the research it is already socialized science. If you want to keep your research private or limit its release, then privately fund it yourself or come to a contract with a private grantor or investor. If you want to research on the public dime, then that research (and the patents associated with it) should be freely released. Don't make me pay for it and then expect to privately profit from it.

Well said. You are absolutely right.

Researchers and publishers cannot reasonably insist that government funding of research is necessary for the public good, then turn around and charge the public high prices for access to the fruits of that research.