>with the goal of changing how research is distributed
Services like Arxiv, and now scihub have changed things up more than a bit. I have to wonder if they saw the writing on the wall and cashed out while they could (and I would not fault them if they said they did)
This seems quite plausible. SSRN has been a good thing, but over many years it hasn't managed anywhere near the change and furor produced by Scihub. If open access brands are going to be devalued by universal access, then it's a great time to sell.
Services like Arxiv, and now scihub have changed things up more than a bit. I have to wonder if they saw the writing on the wall and cashed out while they could (and I would not fault them if they said they did)