China HowNet obtains the copyright of papers based on channel advantages or even monopoly. In many cases, it is not directly authorized by the original author, but packaged into "format clauses" for journals and university dissertations.

China HowNet takes advantage of the market and covers two channels: dissertations and periodical papers. If universities and periodicals want to obtain relevant resources, they must hand over the authorization of the authors. When graduates of master's degree and doctor's degree submit their papers, they are usually required by the school to sign the Instructions for the Use of Papers and authorize the papers to China HowNet.

Debate on hownet papers

The resources such as periodical papers, dissertations and conference papers collected and stored by HowNet come directly from universities, research institutes, their scholars and students. As public goods, these academic documents have public welfare attributes, but the business operation mode based on HowNet has been questioned. In essence, China HowNet is building a public knowledge database, but now the public welfare attribute is getting weaker and weaker, and the commercial flavor is getting stronger and stronger.

The knowledge resources collected by HowNet come from the society, and their resources are obviously social. We should not simply take resources from society as the basis for profiteering, but should "take them from society and use them for society" and adhere to the universality and public welfare of services. Therefore, as a national knowledge infrastructure, the services provided by HowNet should be geared to the public, meet the public's demand for knowledge and provide equal services.