That's ridiculous. It's not even funny. I can't imagine how such a contract could stand up in court if contested, unless Elsevier actually paid the owner of the copyright something.
If a contract does not involve an exchange of value between the parties, but instead appears to be a one-sided transfer, a judge might strike it down as unconscionable. If the contract were voided in this way, instead of breached, Elsevier would have to give back everything it got from the author. If you paid for it, even one penny, that sale is much easier to defend in court.
If a contract does not involve an exchange of value between the parties, but instead appears to be a one-sided transfer, a judge might strike it down as unconscionable. If the contract were voided in this way, instead of breached, Elsevier would have to give back everything it got from the author. If you paid for it, even one penny, that sale is much easier to defend in court.
But they don't pay. They charge at both ends.