Dear Otto and colleagues,
There are certainly many business areas where one openly asks for bids or offers to have a certain job done. Of course, I have no idea what has gone on during IFIP's prenegotiation with Springer. Is Springer aware that we have an offer from BCS?
A good idea might be to ask Springer if it would be all right with them, i.e., if they would mind, our showing the contract to Google. They may well say "no" but at least they would think that we might be looking elsewhere.
With best regards, Harry
Otto Spaniol wrote:
Dear Harry and others,
Harry Rudin wrote:
- Otto, how about your asking the Publications Committee if we
can send a copy of the Springer offer to Ms.Cathy Gordon, Director, Business Development, cathyg@google.com, asking for comment?
I asked the IFIP publication committe for that and Roger Johnson answered as follows:
Dear Colleagues
In my opinion it would be a clear breach of confidence to make available to Google details of contract negotiations with Springer. This would be very dangerous for our future dealing with Springer. Negotiations are conducted on the presupposition of confidentiality on both sides unless an alternative arrangement is agreed. How would we feel if publishers were invited to tender for services to IFIP and they revealed to each other their proposed bids. Not only would we be angry it would also be illegal in every legal jurisdiction I have dealt with!
It would be possible to ask Google to make an offer for similar services but Springer's position/involvement should not be revealed.
Roger
Dr Roger Johnson Dean, Faculty of Social Science & Honorary Secretary, International Federation for Information Processing Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX UK. Telephone: (+44) 20 7631 6709 FAX: (+44) 20 7631 6727 URL: http://www.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/%7Ergj College location: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?P2M?P=wc1e7hx&Z=1 IFIP: http://www.ifip.or.at/
Now, whereas Roger's statement is just one of possible feelings I think that we should resepct the wish for confidentiality.
A question to Harry Rudin: Since you, Harry, are in contact with Google: Would it be possible for you to "white wash" or to anonymize some corner points of Springer's offer - and ask Google for a competitive or better proposal? I know from beforehand that this will be difficult due to the copyright conflicts but this situation will hold for everybody else (I wonder that the BCS proposal can live without it). Thus from a pragmatic perspective we might be forced to accept the Springer offer if we want to have a suitable DL before the end of the actual Springer contract (i.e. before the end of 2009).
Best regards Otto