American scientific publishers panic over paywall policy rumours

An image showing Donald Trump next to a Merry Christmas sign

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The White House is apparently poised to force the immediate free distribution of scientific journal articles arising from federal funding

Journal publishers and scientific organisations, including the American Chemical Society (ACS), are outraged about an executive order that is being circulated in the White House, which sources say may well be issued quietly the week of Christmas. The proposed policy apparently emanated from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and it completely upends things for scientific publishers.