Willetts powerless to prevent open-access double-dipping

Science and universities minister David Willetts has said that the UK government is unable to stop publishers charging researchers journal subscription fees and article processing charges, a practice known as ‘double-dipping’.

Concerns have been raised that the government’s open-access policy could result in double-dipping, as publishers seek to mitigate change to their business models.

“We don’t have any power specifically to ban double-dipping. We don’t welcome it,” Willetts told the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on 14 May. Willetts was giving evidence to a hearing in the committee’s inquiry into the government’s open-access policies.