Where do we go from here? (Score 1)

Regardless of whether Contentville has the rights, perhaps the question is what next? Clearly, there are policies in place, backed by tradition and University codes, that allow certain groups to make use of dissertations. Most people probably signed it away, not thinking that there was much if any chance that it would *ever* be read or duplicated. If someone had to go to the trouble of requesting a copy from the University itself, chances are slim that anyone but the most avid researcher would bother. On the other hand, many commercially available books started out as people's dissertations, simply spruced up for general consumption. They are making a small profit, and increasing their professional prestige by having a book published early in their careers. But how many publishers will buy rehashed dissertations if they know that anyone can get it online? How much will this service decrease the incentives of academic publishers? Some dissertations, especially engineering and scientific fields, can be very valuable. What if a student knows that their writing will be worth a lot of money in the future, and refuses to sign the agreement. If someone has already paid a small fortune to attend the uni, what will happen when they now have to surrender a valuable document in order to get their degree. And what if the Universities then broker it over the net themselves? Only a tradition has prevented such whoelsale exploitation, but what will stop them in the future? If Contentville makes a profit, who knows who else will spring out to make money off the backs of students.