Following decision of the court of Amsterdam declaring Swets Information
Services B.V. bankrupt 23rd September 2014, insolvency or liquidation
proceedings have been opened against various foreign companies of the Swets
Group in other jurisdictions. A notice posted 23
<http://www.swets.com/news/notice-in-the-bankruptcy-of-swets-information-ser
vices-bv#.VFE5zpV0y00> rd October on the Swets website states, "It is
anticipated that within the near future (almost) all group companies of
Swets Information Services B.V. will be involved in insolvency or
liquidation procedures."
"The bankruptcy of Swets Information Services B.V. may have (a material)
impact on the day-to-day operations of all parties involved with Swets
Information Services B.V. and its group companies. Swets Information
Services B.V. is no longer able to meet its obligations towards its
customers. Since most group companies of the Swets group rely on the
performance of (service) activities of Swets Information Services B.V. the
customers of those group companies (may) experience a similar material
impact of the bankruptcy of Swets Information Services B.V. as well."
This brings up the matter of consolidation centers operated by Swets Group
of companies in countries such as Netherlands, Germany, United States,
United Kingdom, and Russia-consolidating thousands of subscriptions for
institutional customers worldwide. Publishers have been shipping print
copies of journals to these centers, where they were consolidated with other
subscriptions for the customer, and shipped periodically (often monthly) to
the customer.
Since the bankruptcy, even if the consolidation centers have received the
shipments, likelihood is that they have not been shipped to customers. Many
of the publishers who had the end user addresses, have already switched the
mailing to the customer addresses. Also, a number of customers have
proactively approached the publishers and requested that copies be sent to
them directly.
However, we understand that there are still many publishers, particularly
small- to medium-sized, who are continuing to send subscription copies to
Swets consolidation points-they do not have customer addresses, and the
customers have not approached them.
If you are a publisher facing this situation, you may be well-advised to
withhold shipments to Swets consolidation centers, contact the customers if
you have their details, and arrange to deliver copies directly to customers.
If you are a customer affected by this situation, you may wish to contact
the journal publisher, claim your subscription and request the copies be
sent to you directly.
If requested, subscription agents/intermediaries should provide publishers
with the customer details. Publishers who have not made this request, now
may be a good time to do so and keep up-to-date customer information in your
records - not some mailbox at a consolidation center.
Nawin Gupta, Principal
Informed Publishing Solutions, Inc.
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