Re: "data and research ... is ... more strategically valuable ... than copyright-busting"
This list of things the university pays for misses "Gold Open Access" where some countries have decided we want all our papers to be open (good thing) so we use the same closed journals and page £2k-5k per paper to make it open. Still we do all the writing, most of the sodding copy editing, all the reviewing, most of the editing. And then we still have to pay when we want to see articles from other countries.
Out library is cash strapped. We get emails regularly from our department "Open Access Champion"** telling us the budgets are spent please stop publishing in these sets of journals. I could skirt these journals on moral grounds but I did that earlier in my career and it really screwed me. But, when we don't have access to a paper, I am not going to do less/worse literature review. I am not going to give the bastards more money. I am going to use Sci-Hub. Via a VPN/proxy if the uni blocks it. Governments need to grow a spine, pull together and crowd out this cartel of arsehole publishers. Not protect them with copyright bullshit.
The point about "strategically valuable" "never-for-public-access data and research"? I would rather chew my left bollock off than sign an NDA. I'm an academic. You want my data,even the pre published stuff? Send me an email. Want my code? Go to GitLab. Want a copy of my behind a paywall paper from pre Gold open access? Well, I might have to get my own paper from Sci-Hub if you want the final published version because good god I might not have it. But I can do that and email it to you. But it saves all of us time and energy if you just go to Sci-Hub.
** All departments must have an Open Access Champion. They pick someone who will champion verbatim repetition of bad news not actual action on open access.