The Google Book search settlement: A law and economics analysis

Beginning in December 2004 Google has pursued a new project to create a book search engine (Google Book Search). The project has released a storm of controversy around the globe. While the supporters of Google Book Search conceive the project as a first reasonable step towards unlimited access to knowledge in the information age, its opponents fear profound negative effects due to an erosion of copyright law. Our law and economics analysis of the Book Search Project suggests that – from a copyright perspective – the proposed settlement may be beneficial to right holders, consumers, and Google. For instance, it may provide a solution to the still unsolved dilemma of orphan works. From a competition policy perspective, we stress the important aspect that Google’s pricing algorithm for orphan and unclaimed works effectively replicates a competitive Nash-Bertrand market outcome under post-settlement, third-party oversight.Book Rights Registry; Competition Policy; Copyright; Fair Use; Google Book Search; Library Program; Orphan Works

Effects of the European CSR Directive (2014/95/EU) on the Credibility of Sustainability Reporting – An Empirical Study of German Listed Companies

Die Europäische Union hat die CSR-Richtlinie 2014/95/EU auf den Weg gebracht, um die Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung zu verbessern und damit das Vertrauen der Stakeholder zu stärken. Die bestehende Literatur weist darauf hin, dass zahlreiche Stakeholder der Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung von Unternehmen mit Misstrauen gegenüberstehen. Die fehlende Glaubwürdigkeit führt dazu, dass das Unternehmen seine Legitimität bzw. Akzeptanz in der Gesellschaft verliert. Aus diesem Grund untersucht die Masterarbeit, ob die implementierte CSR-Richtlinie die Glaubwürdigkeit in der Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung erhöht hat. Diese Fragestellung wird anhand einer deutschen Stichprobe untersucht (MDAX). Hierfür wird die Glaubwürdigkeit der Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung vor und nach der Einführung der CSR-Richtlinie quantifiziert. Die Messung der Glaubwürdigkeit erfolgt mit Hilfe eines Glaubwürdigkeitsindex, welcher aus den folgenden drei Dimensionen besteht: (1) Wahrheit, (2) Wahrhaftigkeit sowie (3) Angemessenheit & Verständlichkeit. Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen statistisch signifikanten Anstieg der Dimensionen Wahrheit und Wahrhaftigkeit nach der Einführung der CSR-Richtlinie, was für die Wirksamkeit der durchgeführten CSR-Richtlinie hinsichtlich der Glaubwürdigkeit spricht. Keywords: CSR-Richtlinie 2014/95/EU; Glaubwürdigkeit; Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung; MDAX.The European Union has implemented the CSR Directive 2014/95/EU with the aim to improve sustainability reporting in order to increase the trust of different stakeholders. There is evidence in the literature that stakeholders distrust the sustainability reporting of companies. The lack of credibility may lead to a loss legitimacy or acceptance in society. Accordingly, the master thesis raises the research question whether the implemented CSR directive has increased credibility in the sustainability reporting. To answer the research question the credibility of the sustainability reporting is quantified before and after the implementation of the CSR directive in a German sample (MDAX). Credibility is measured by a credibility index which consists of the following three dimensions: (1) Truth, (2) sincerity and (3) appropriateness & understandability. The results show a statistically significant increase in the dimensions of truth and sincerity after the introduction of the CSR directive. Therefore, the master thesis delivers empirical evidence for the effectiveness of the implemented CSR directive in the context of credibility. Keywords: CSR-Richtlinie 2014/95/EU; Glaubwürdigkeit; Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung; MDAX

Does Online Access Promote Research in Developing Countries?

Universities in developing countries have rarely been able to subscribe to academic journals in the past. The “Online Access to Research in the Environment” initiative (OARE) provides institutions in developing countries with free online access to more than 5,700 environmental science journals. Here we analyze the effect of OARE on scientific output in five developing countries. We apply difference-in-difference estimation using panel data for 18,955 articles from 798 research institutions. We find that online access via OARE increases publication output by at least 43% while lower-ranked institutions located in remote areas benefit less. Results are robust when we apply instrumental variables to account for information diffusion and Bayesian estimation to control for self-selectio

Does Online Access Promote Research in Developing Countries?

Universities in developing countries have rarely been able to subscribe to academic journals in the past. The “Online Access to Research in the Environment” initiative (OARE) provides institutions in developing countries with free online access to more than 5,700 environmental science journals. Here we analyze the effect of OARE on scientific output in five developing countries. We apply difference-in-difference estimation using panel data for 18,955 articles from 798 research institutions. We find that online access via OARE increases publication output by at least 43% while lower-ranked institutions located in remote areas benefit less. Results are robust when we apply instrumental variables to account for information diffusion and Bayesian estimation to control for self-selectio

Biodegradable ionic liquids: Part I. Concept, preliminary targets and evaluation

10 pages, 3 figures, 1 scheme.-- Printed version published Mar 2004.The design, preparation and evaluation of biodegradable ionic liquids containing ester or amide groups in the alkyl side chain are presented. Factors improving the biodegradation of surfactants were successfully applied to ionic liquids. These novel ionic liquids can be prepared from readily available starting materials in high yield. The introduction of a group susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis greatly improves the biodegradation (OECD 301D Closed Bottle Test) compared with the commonly used dialkylimidazolium ionic liquids, bmimBF4 and bmimPF6. For the 3-methyl-1-(alkyloxycarbonylmethyl)imidazolium bromide series, the greatest biodegradation was observed when alkyl = butyl, pentyl, hexyl and octyl. The corresponding amide analogs proved to be poorly biodegradable.Peer reviewe

Academic Publishing and Open Access

With the spread of the internet and new opportunities for publishing academic works digitally at virtually no costs, the traditional copyright model has recently been put under critical review which is for at least two reasons: First and foremost, a vast increase in subscription prices for academic journals has forced (university) libraries to significantly cut their journal portfolios. Second, copyright seems negligible in academia as researchers are motivated by reputation gains and CV effects rather than direct financial returns from publishing their works. As a consequence, the promotion of Open Access (OA) to scientific research is claimed as the perceived future of academic publishing in the information age. This paper critically reviews the OA debate by discussing theoretical and empirical arguments on the role of copyright in publishing scientific outcomes. A brief historical perspective introduces to the changed environmental conditions for scholarly publishing, pointing to a new trade-off in the digital age. By framing the debate in a broader literature stream and related issues, we provide with caveat for further research and a glimpse of possible future scenarios. It is shown that copyright may be both a blessing and a curse in establishing an effective framework for scientific progress

Genome sequence of OXA-23 producing Acinetobacter baumannii IHIT7853, a carbapenem-resistant strain from a cat belonging to international clone IC1

Background: Multidrug resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii has dramatically increased in recent years worldwide. Thus, last-line antibiotics like carbapenems are increasingly being used which in turn further augments selection pressure for resistant strains. Resistance to carbapenems in A. baumannii is frequently mediated by carbapenemases, particularly OXA-23 and OXA-58. Carbapenemase-producing bacteria are mainly described in human patients and the intestinal tract represents a common source for such pathogens. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of A. baumannii IHIT7853, a carbapenem-resistant, OXA-23 producing strain isolated from cystitis in a cat in 2000 in Germany. Results: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that IHIT7853 belonged to the globally distributed international clone IC1 and MLST type ST1/ST231 (Pasteur/Oxford MLST scheme). A phylogenetic tree based on the maximum common genome of 18 A. baumannii isolates placed IHIT7853 close to human clinical isolates, such as the multidrug-resistant (MDR) outbreak strain AYE that was isolated from a patient with pneumonia and cystitis in 2001 in France. The OXA-23 plasmid sequence could be determined as 53,995 bp in size, possessing resistance genes strA and strB in addition to bla OXA-23. Conclusions: The analysis of the genome of IHIT7853 reveals that companion animals carry MDR A. baumannii that resemble relevant clonal lineages involved in severe infections in humans. As urinary tract infections are often caused by bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract, future studies should unveil, if the animal gut serves as a source for MDR A. baumannii

Academic Publishing and Open Access

With the spread of the internet and new opportunities for publishing academic works digitally at virtually no costs, the traditional copyright model has recently been put under critical review which is for at least two reasons: First and foremost, a vast increase in subscription prices for academic journals has forced (university) libraries to significantly cut their journal portfolios. Second, copyright seems negligible in academia as researchers are motivated by reputation gains and CV effects rather than direct financial returns from publishing their works. As a consequence, the promotion of Open Access (OA) to scientific research is claimed as the perceived future of academic publishing in the information age. This paper critically reviews the OA debate by discussing theoretical and empirical arguments on the role of copyright in publishing scientific outcomes. A brief historical perspective introduces to the changed environmental conditions for scholarly publishing, pointing to a new trade-off in the digital age. By framing the debate in a broader literature stream and related issues, we provide with caveat for further research and a glimpse of possible future scenarios. It is shown that copyright may be both a blessing and a curse in establishing an effective framework for scientific progress

The Google Book search settlement: A law and economics analysis

Beginning in December 2004 Google has pursued a new project to create a book search engine (Google Book Search). The project has released a storm of controversy around the globe. While the supporters of Google Book Search conceive the project as a first reasonable step towards unlimited access to knowledge in the information age, its opponents fear profound negative effects due to an erosion of copyright law. Our law and economics analysis of the Book Search Project suggests that – from a copyright perspective – the proposed settlement may be beneficial to right holders, consumers, and Google. For instance, it may provide a solution to the still unsolved dilemma of orphan works. From a competition policy perspective, we stress the important aspect that Google’s pricing algorithm for orphan and unclaimed works effectively replicates a competitive Nash-Bertrand market outcome under post-settlement, third-party oversight