Science journals are parasites. They don't pay for the research they publish -- nor do they pay for the refereeing (which is done by volunteers). Their costs amount to the administrative details of the journal, like emailing copies to referees, and the actual printing costs, such as they are.
They're able to maintain their position because of the prestige effect, as getting your paper into the Journal Nature is worth a hell of a lot more for the researcher than getting it published in No-Name Open Access Journal.
Journal publishers are aware that their position is a lot like that of the music industry. They're middle men between producers and consumers of science, and are becoming increasingly redundant. This has made them highly conservative, reactionary, and litigious as they try to maintain their white-knuckled grip on what they have.
They're able to maintain their position because of the prestige effect, as getting your paper into the Journal Nature is worth a hell of a lot more for the researcher than getting it published in No-Name Open Access Journal.
Journal publishers are aware that their position is a lot like that of the music industry. They're middle men between producers and consumers of science, and are becoming increasingly redundant. This has made them highly conservative, reactionary, and litigious as they try to maintain their white-knuckled grip on what they have.