[the SCOAP³] sort of direct negotiation seems a positive step, especially in conjunction with an innovative form of cooperative made up of the libraries and particle physics community that seeks taccess to its literature.
The Stratified Economics of Open Access, by John Willinsky, Economic Analysis and Policy (EAP), Volume 39, pp 53-70, March 2009

In the meantime, several publishers have offered some or all of their HEP content for free under an open access model in anticipation of SCOAP³ being fully funded. The future of the open-access model, which combines the strengths of the existing open repositories and peer-reviewed journals, seems bright.
HEP, publishing, and open access, by Ted Kolberg, US/LHC blogs, 26 February 2009

[SCOAP³] will soon launch the next phase of the project, converting subscription journals in particle physics to OA, with the full cooperation of publishers. The good news here is reassuringly undramatic: the world's most systematic attempt to redirect funds from TA journals to OA journals for an entire field, and show that the transition to gold OA can be a peaceful revolution based on negotiation, consent, and self-interest, is *on track*.
SPARC Open Access Newsletter, by Peter Suber, 02 January 2009

[...] its notable for two things: its effort to involve publishers in the development of a more sustainable system, and its incrementalism-- its willingess to build on the existing system of scientific publishing, rather than abandon the industry in favor of something completely new.
Scoap³ and open access publishing, Landorcom.com, 7 February 2009

SCOAP³ pursues an intriguing collaborative model that has emerged from the high energy physics community, whereby a consortium supported by libraries, research societies and other groups would contract with publishers to provide their services and publish high energy physics journals as open access.
Strategies for Promoting Social Scholarship, by Lisa Spiro. Digital Scholarship in humanities, 18 April 2008

The most notable experiment in flipping both commercial and society publications to an OA business model is CERN's SCOAP³ project [...]
Periodicals Price Survey 2008: Embracing Openness, by Lee C. Van Orsdel & Kathleen Born, Library Journal, 15 April 2008

SCOAP³ is a great model for a stable, planned transition of an entire field to OA publishing. If your institution is involved in High Energy Physics research - please sign on!
High Energy Physics Goes Open Access, by Heather Morrison, The Imaginary Journal of Poetic Economics, 1 March 2008