Obtaining Copyright Permissions

How Do I Obtain Copyright Permissions?

Guidelines

When use of photocopied material requires permission, an instructor must communicate complete and accurate information to the copyright owner. The following information must be included in a permission request letter to expedite the process:

  1. Book chapter, magazine/journal/newspaper article, or Internet resource information.
    1. Magazine/journal/newspaper article information: Author and title of article, pages of article, title of magazine/journal/newspaper, volume number, date of issue. Include a photocopy, if possible.
    2. Book chapter information: Author and title of chapter, pages of chapter, title of book, author(s)/editor(s) of book, edition (if applicable), publisher, date of publication. Include a photocopy, if possible.
    3. Internet resource information: Author, editor, or compiler of Internet resource; title of resource; date of publication, posting, or update; name of institution or organization responsible for the resource; date the resource was accessed; URL.
  2. Use to be made of duplicated materials.
  3. Form of distribution (CourseInfo).
  4. Whether or not the material is to be sold.
  5. Type of reprint (photocopy, image, scanning, PDF.).

The Copyright Clearance Center has the right to grant permission and collect fees for photocopying rights for certain publications. The CCC’s pay-per-use permissions service provides instant authorization to use and share content from the world’s leading titles in science, technology, medicine, etc. Instructors may copy from any journal that is registered with the CCC, report the copying beyond fair use to CCC, and pay the set fee. If the address of the publisher does not appear at the front of the material, some other possible sources include:

The process of granting permission requires time for the publisher to check the status of the copyright and to evaluate the nature of the request. It is advisable, therefore, to allow enough time to obtain permission before the materials are needed. In some instances, the publisher may assess a fee for the permission.

Recommended Sample Letters to the Copyright Owner (Publisher) Requesting Permissions:

Sample Letter for Journal Article Permissions (scanning an image, PDF, or a direct link to a journal article)

June 12, 2023

Copyright Permissions Department 
Publisher USA
100 Main Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63146

To Whom it May Concern:

I am an instructor in the BUMC Introduction to Health 101 course. I would like permission to provide a direct link to the following article from the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The link will be placed on the University’s Blackboard site. Blackboard is authenticated by secure Kerberos password.

Author: Solomon J. 
Article: How strategies for managing patient visit time affect physician job satisfaction: a qualitative analysis.
Journal: Journal of General Internal Medicine
Volume and Pages: 23(6):775-80
Date of publication: 2008

Number of students in the Introduction to Health 101 course: 25
Duration of the course: Fall 2018
Distribution: The link will be placed on Blackboard. Only students enrolled in the course will have access to this link.
Use: The article will be used as supplemental reading.

Please let me know if permission is allowed, and if any fees apply.

Sincerely,

John Q. Instructor, 
BUMC Any Department
email@bu.edu

 

Sample Letter for Electronic Book Permissions (images, PDFs, and links)

June 12, 2023

Copyright Permissions Department
Publisher USA
100 Main Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63146

To Whom it May Concern:

I am an instructor in the BUMC Introduction to Health 101 course. I would like permission to include an image from the following chapter to put on the University’s Blackboard site. Blackboard is authenticated by secure Kerberos password.

Author of chapter: Moore, Tyler
Title of chapter: Physical Therapy (Chapter 7, Image 3). 
Title of book: Handbook of Health
Editor of book: Smith, Jasmine
Publisher: Publisher USA
Date of publication: 2009
Number of students in the Introduction to Health 101 course: 25
Duration of the course: Fall 2018

Distribution: The copy will be scanned and placed on Blackboard. Only students enrolled in the course will have access to view and download the image. 
Use: The image will help students understand some physical therapy practices.

Please let me know if permission is allowed, and if any fees apply.

Sincerely,

John Q. Instructor, 
BUMC Any Department 
email@bu.edu