This question might be more suitable for a law forum, but I thought somebody may be able to share their experience.



> 
> Can the editors of a research journal unilaterally decide to move
> their journal to a different publisher, and keep the journal’s name?
> 
> 
> 


I’m aware of cases where the editors resigned and started a new journal with a slightly different name, while the publisher kept publishing a journal with the old name; this scenario does not answer my question.



Can editors move a journal to a different publisher?
**Q:** Can editors move a journal to a different publisher?  

**A:** Only if they represent the owner of the journal (a foundation or university). If the publisher owns the journal it is unlikely they will agree to a move, which will not prevent a fresh start under a (slightly) different name.


A few case studies are discussed in [the 2012 Notices of the AMS.](https://www.ams.org/notices/201206/rtx120600841p.pdf)


* Compositio Mathematica was published by Kluwer, but owned by a
separate foundation, which chose to move to Cambridge UP.
* Topology is owned by Elsevier, so it had to change name becoming Journal of Topology, when the editorial board chose to move to Oxford UP.
* Mathematika is owned by University College London, which moved to Cambridge UP with help of the London Mathematical Society.


