[adestefan]

JSTOR has spent a substantial amount of money and time digitizing and indexing publications that were created before computers took over the industry.

The same is true for LexisNexus.

[snogglethorpe]

Soooo, if they did actual work, they deserve to be paid fairly for that work.

They certainly do not deserve to be paid for things they didn't do, nor a perpetual monopoly on others' work, simply because they've managed to lock-in their customers for historical reasons.

Rent-seeking is rent-seeking, and is bad for society.