Four Leading Publishers Sue California Document Delivery Service For Copyright Infringement

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2006--Four leading scientific, technical and medical publishers, Blackwell Publishing, Inc., Excerpta Medica, Inc. (a subsidiary of Elsevier, Inc.), Wiley-Liss, Inc. (a subsidiary of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) and the American Chemical Society, today announced they have filed a copyright infringement suit against 4 Research Solutions, Inc., of Chico, CA. The publishers allege that 4 Research Solutions routinely makes and sells copies of copyrighted articles without obtaining permission. The publishers' complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

4 Research Solutions, which conducts business under the name Research Solutions, is a commercial document delivery service. Its customers order copies of published materials, including journal articles, which the company produces and delivers by mail, fax or email. U.S. copyright law requires that companies wishing to redistribute copyrighted content in such fashion first obtain permission and, if required, pay royalties to the copyright holder.

The plaintiffs allege that 4 Research Solutions has failed to obtain such permission in the case of numerous high-value articles published in the plaintiffs' scientific, technical and medical journals.

"Document delivery service companies generally are very respectful of the copyrights of authors and publishers," said Attorney William Strong of Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, LLP, a Boston law firm that represents the publishers. "However, those who aren't need to understand that copyright infringement causes significant harm to the authors and publishers that form the bedrock of scholarship and research in the U.S. A substantial decline in publishers' royalties will have an adverse impact on the scholarly community and on scientific progress by making it more difficult to publish worthwhile scientific research."

About Blackwell Publishing. Blackwell Publishing is the world's leading society publisher, partnering with 665 academic and professional societies. Blackwell publishes over 800 journals and, to date, has published more than 6,000 books, across a wide range of academic, medical, and professional subjects. The company remains independent with more than 950 staff members in offices in the US, UK, Australia, China, Denmark, Singapore, Germany, and Japan. Blackwell's mission as an expert publisher is to create long-term partnerships with clients to enhance learning, disseminate research, and improve the quality of professional practice. For more information on Blackwell Publishing, please visit: www.blackwellpublishing.com (http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/) or www.blackwell-synergy.com (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/).

About Elsevier. Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier's 7,500 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 1,800 journals and 2,200 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect, MD Consult, Scopus, bibliographic databases, and online reference works. Elsevier is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier's ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

About John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., provides must-have content and services to customers worldwide. Its core businesses include scientific, technical, and medical journals, encyclopedias, books, and online products and services; professional and consumer books and subscription services; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley has publishing, marketing, and distribution centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb. Wiley's Internet site can be accessed at www.wiley.com.

About the American Chemical Society. The American Chemical Society--the world's largest scientific society--is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.