Obtaining Copyright Permission
How To Obtain Permission For Copyrighted Material From The Rights-Holder
Copyright is the exclusive right to reproduce, or permit others to reproduce, a literary or artistic work, for any purpose. No one may make a copy of a substantial portion of a work without the prior consent of the rights-holder.
To avoid any infringements of copyright pertaining to books and periodicals, permission to copy must be obtained from the rights-holder. The following information will assist in this process.
Obtain the name and address of the publisher.
- In books, this information will be found on the title page and back of the title page.
- BOOKS: For Canadian sources, check: - Canadian Publishers Directory (book) - Canadian Books in Print (on-line and book)
- For American sources, check: - Publishers, Distributors & Wholesalers of the United States (book) - Books in Print (CD-ROM)
- PERIODICALS: In periodicals, this information will usually be found under the table of contents, where subscription information is identified. You may consult The Serials Directory (CD-ROM) as well.
These sources are available at the J.A. Turner Professional Library.
Contact the rights-holder.
Often the author rather than the publisher retains the rights, but your inquiry should begin with the publisher. Some publishers will grant verbal permission over the phone. Should they require a written request, fill in as much information on sample Form A (attached) as possible. Use sample Form B (attached) as an example of a cover letter, and alter it to suit your specific needs.
Request and response time can often be facilitated by using a fax machine to send your requests as well as to receive the reply. Allow sufficient time to accommodate individual publishers methods of operations.
Prepare materials for reproduction.
- If verbal permission is granted, note date, name and title of person granting.
- Type the acknowledgment of permissions line on top or bottom of the first page of the reproduction, according to the specific instructions of the rights-holder. This line generally identifies original source and indicates that further duplication is prohibited.
e.g.: “Reprinted with permission from Educational Leadership September, 1996. Copyright by ASCD”.
- Permission is granted based on the information provided by the requestor. Should this information change, or if duplication is required at another time, permission must be requested again.
Maintain copyright records.
- Keep a copy of the letter of request and reply for both written and verbal permissions for future reference.
