Recent debates around digital law, as well as discussions following the introduction of an open access policy by the European Research Council were instrumental in publicizing the international debates on the transformation of the political economy of scientific publications in France. Without discussing here the vast literature produced by researchers in library science, but also by various stakeholders (open access activists, publishers, learned societies, funders, political bodies), we recall the characteristics of HSS academic publishing, then describe contemporary forms of appropriation of scientific publications by publishers and platforms. Finally, we describe various public policies and the foundations of the InSHS policy in this area.