Copyright Permissions Requests

Determining When Permission is Needed

Copyright law makes faculty responsible for copyright compliance regarding copyrighted materials they distribute to their students, including materials digitized and distributed at the faculty member’s request through library reserves.  Faculty are therefore responsible for seeking copyright permission when appropriate. 

Information on the Library Reserves submission forms provide for most items all the information needed to determine whether permission is required.  Copyright law is inherently complex.  We have simplified the requirements for faculty as much as possible. If information provided on the forms is insufficient, further information is available on the Library Reserves Web pages at by clicking on the links at the right or by contacting Library reserves staff.

Persons who are not licensed attorneys can not offer legal advice. Library staff can advise faculty regarding the Libraries' application of copyright law to library reserves. Advice provided is limited to what the library will and will not allow under its policies and within the operations it supports. This advice does not constitute legal advice. Faculty needing advice on copyright matters not related to library reserves are encouraged to read the copyright information provided by the Libraries.

Options for Seeking Permission

• Writing to the publisher
  
  This can be done using either e-mail or “snail-mail.”  It involves slightly more work but is typically much less expensive, often resulting in no fees.  A sample permission request letter is available for your use at exlibris.colgate.edu/reserves/PermissionsLetter.doc
  
  
• Copyright Clearance Center
  
  The Copyright Clearance Center Web site at http://www.copyright.com/ is convenient but can be very expensive.  The Colgate Libraries do not have funds available to assist with the paying of fee.