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Requesting Copyright Permissions on Your Own

Obtaining copyright permissions on your own is hard work and requires research and careful planning to be successful. Publishers vary in their procedure and the degree of promptness in response to your request for copyright permission. This process may take from four to eight weeks, so you should plan ahead to guarantee that permission is received in adequate time for your use. Careful organization and follow-up are keys to a successful process.

1. First, determine what items do not require copyright permission for their use. These include:
   1. Government publications
   2. Items in the public domain
   3. Exams
   4. Lecture notes
   5. One article from a journal issue (first time use only)
   6. One chapter from a book (first time use only)
   
   
   
2. You should also be aware that the Libraries' subscribe to a large number of full text journal articles online which are licensed for use in your class and do not require copyright permission. Use the libraries' journal locator to identify those journal articles that are available full text online.
   
   
3. Publishers frequently provide their address and contact information, including an Internet URL, inside the cover of their publication. Many publishers provide information and/or an option for obtaining permission directly on their site. You may also be able to place a written or faxed request with the publisher. If an Internet URL is not provided, search the Internet using Google or another search engine. An additional alphabetical directory of publishers is available at AcqWeb, the Acquisition Librarian's resource at Vanderbilt. The Association of American Publishers provides additional information and a Standard Permission Request Form online.
   
   
4. It is important that you keep track of your requests for permission to avoid last minute problems. All permissions must be in-hand before the Print Shop will accept your coursepack order.
   
   
5. Permissions may also be requested by phone or fax. All permissions received verbally over the phone should be followed-up with a written statement of permission from the publisher. Verbal permissions are not always reliable and are less likely to hold weight in a legal dispute. Again, written permission will be required by the campus Print Shop before your printing order may be processed.
   
   
6. Non-Print Materials: The University of Texas Crash Course in Copyright provides an excellent page providing information on obtaining permission for any number of material types including print, audio, graphics, music, etc. Another useful resource is the Kansas State University's Intellectual Property Information Center site.