Disrupting the Oligopoly: a Critical Analysis of SCI-Hub and Reimagining Ethics in Scholarly Publishing

Sudipta Kumar Baghar (), Chandrakanta Swain () and Sunam Shankar Behera ()
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Sudipta Kumar Baghar: Library Associate, Indian Institute of Management Raipur
Chandrakanta Swain: Librarian, Indian Institute of Management Raipur
Sunam Shankar Behera: Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Professional Assistant

A chapter in Proceedings of the International Conference on Marching Beyond the Libraries: Talent, Technology, and Transformation (ICMBL 2025), 2026, pp 112-122 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The contemporary scholarly publishing system Indicated by a highly concentrated market profit oligopoly system, subscription fees, & paywalls has triggeredan intense access crisis, shatter the global research community along economic & geographical boundaries. This paper critically analyses Sci-Hub, the disputed shadow library founded in 2011 by Alexandra Elbakyan, which has surfaced as a disruptive force challenging the oligopoly nature of publishing market. This study investigates how Sci-Hub exposed fundamental defect in the contemporary academic publishing model through comprehensive analysis of publishing economics, ethical frameworks, & access inequalities. This research inquiries into conflict between right to access of knowledge and copyright protection. This paper argues for readdressing scholarly communication by reviewing oligopoly model of business, impact of Sci-Hub on researcher community & alternative publishing model. The findings says that Sci-hub provides illegal access bypassing copyright infringement, although it addresses knowledge disparities particularly researcher from developing countries. This paper contributes to the debates, dialogue & discussion on future of scholarly publishing by proposing the acceptable solutions which balance IPR with universal access to knowledge, finally reimagining ethics in scholarly publishing which address access to knowledge over profit.

Keywords: Sci-Hub; scholarly publishing; oligopoly; open access; scholarly communication; copyright ethics; knowledge access (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-614-2_14

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