Open-access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes it possible is the internet and the consent of the author or copyright-holder.
The International Association for the Study of Commons (IASC) is launching a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, the International Journal of the Commons. It's now accepting submissions and the first issue will appear in 2007.
The Public Library of Science is an international non-profit organization that believes that the scientific and medical literature should be a freely available public resource. PLoS is supported by a combination of foundation support, publication charges,
"Academic literature should be freely available: developing countries need access; part time ... thinkers ... journalists and the public can benefit; ... you’ve already paid for much of this stuff with your taxes ... important new ideas from humanity"