Permission to use copyrighted material

Permission to use copyrighted material typically involves a five-step procedure:

• Determine if permission is needed.
• Identify the owner.
• Identify the rights needed.
• Contact the owner and negotiate whether payment is required.
• Get your permission agreement in writing.

Sample permission request letter

Sample Letter Requesting Permission to Reproduce Copyrighted Material

Permissions Department
[Publisher]
[Address]


Dear ___________________:

I am writing to ask your permission to (check all that apply)

_____	reprint
_____	photocopy
_____	digitize
_____	incorporate into

_____	course materials
_____	online course materials
_____	a dissertation/thesis
_____	a website publication	
the following material:

	Author:

	Title:

	Vol:	Issue:

	Page #(s):	Figure/	Table #(s):
		Image #(s:)

	Minutes:

The material will be distributed/published as follows:	

	Purpose:  [Not-for-profit,  educational]
							
	Format:

	Number of Copies:

	Distribution/Access:

If you do not control copyright in the requested materials, I would appreciate any information you can provide about others to whom I should write, including most recent address if available.

Sincerely,




PERMISSION GRANTED: 

I have the authority to grant the permission requested herein and I hereby grant Cornell University permission to use the above referenced material in the manner described.

I request that the credit line read:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________



Copyright Holder's Signature

________________________________
Author's Name			


________________________________

________________________________

________________________________
Address

________________________________
Date

See also

• Copright
• [[Intellectual property

External links

• The Basics of Getting Permission @ stanford.edu
• How to Obtain Permission (PDF) @ copyright.gov
• Getting Permission to Use the Work of Others @ dmlp.org