ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD AND LEXINGTON BOOKS

Updated July 2022 1

PERMISSIONS GUIDE

TEXT

Nonfiction & Fiction

Song Lyrics & Poetry

Personal Interviews

Epigraphs

Translations

Government Docs – Public Domain (with limits)

Unpublished Works by US Citizens or

Government Entities

Web-based Material

IMAGES

Photos/ images / art

Charts/Graphs/Maps/Tables

Stills from Movies/TV

Screenshots from Social Media

Memes and Other Digital Media

Musical Scores/Notation

APPLYING FOR PERMISSIONS

FAQs

This guide is a framework of best practices you should consult as you prepare your manuscript, we

provide the following guidance, but as the author,

you

are legally responsible for all necessary

permissions having been obtained.

• Keep track of any material that requires permission in the TEXT LOG or ART LOG. Ask your

editor for these logs if you don’t have them. Generally, they are provided during contract signing.

• Begin requesting permissions as soon as you possibly can. (We cannot send books into typesetting

until all permissions have been received.)

• Request permission rights for print (hardback and paper) and electronic formats.

• Before you pay for any permissions, send your permissions log to your editor to verify that you

should proceed with your chosen materials.

• Submit copies of all permissions documents to your editor, keeping the originals for your records.

• Even when using material doesn’t require permission, do not forget to cite your sources.

• Once you have permissions, make sure to incorporate the require credit lines in your manuscript.

WHAT NEEDS PERMISSIONS?

Anything under copyright, not in the public domain, or not covered under fair use. Do not assume that

something is fair use just because it’s online.

TEXT

Nonfiction & Fiction

This section concerns works of fiction or nonfiction that were published in the United States and are not in

the public domain. There is no legally mandated number of words that can be quoted without permission

(i.e., considered fair use), but the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, offers some general guidelines to

consider when determining whether your quotation is fair use.

A new work’s usage of previously published fiction or non-fiction text may be considered within fair

use if all of the following apply:

1. It reproduces not more than 5% in the aggregate of a source more than 5,000 words in length

or not more than 10% in the aggregate of a source fewer than 5,000 words in length;

2. It reproduces, in one place, not more than 300 consecutive words from a source;

AND

3. Material reproduced from the source makes up not more than 5% of the new work.

Regardless of whether a quotation is considered fair use or requires written permission for use, authors

should give explicit credit to the source of words or ideas that are quoted, paraphrased, or otherwise used to

advance their own arguments.

We do not allow the use generative artificial intelligence (AI) or authors to work from AI-generated text.

Song Lyrics & Poetry

Copyrighted song lyrics require permission to reproduce. Even if the song lyrics are posted online (whether

authorized or not), song lyrics are still protected by copyright law and must be handled as such. It can be

quite expensive to license song lyrics from music publishers and recording companies.

Fair use principles still apply to song lyrics and poetry, but since these are significantly shorter than novels

and books, even excerpts of a few lines can be considered a “substantial part” of the work and would

disqualify it from fair use per the proportion category.

As a general rule of thumb for fair use, a maximum of two lines of copyrighted song lyrics or poetry

can be excerpted at a single time, and they must be accompanied by commentary or criticism that

speak directly to those lines.

• “Lines” of song lyrics are similar to those of poetry and not sentence-based. Some songs have whole

sentences broken up into multiple lines.

• Authors may include multiple one- or two-line excerpts of copyrighted song lyrics and poetry, but

there must be commentary or criticism between each two-line excerpt (each two-line excerpt may not

appear right next to each other).

• For excerpts longer than a single line, commentary or criticism must address all lines. If you leave out

one line from the commentary or criticism, that might disqualify it from fair use.

• Any amount of lyrics or poetry which are purely decorative or for entertainment purposes require

permission. This includes inclusion as an epigraph. (See section on Epigraphs for further

information.)

• For exceptionally lengthy song lyrics and poetry, you might be able to excerpt three lines since a

three-line excerpt might not count a significant proportion of the work under fair use guidelines. This

is exceedingly rare and must be considered on a case-by-case basis, and you must check with the

acquisition editor. (e.g., the lyrics to “Supper’s Ready” by Genesis are a total of 955 words. There’s a

good argument to be made that a roughly 25 word, three-line excerpt would not count as a

significant portion and disqualify it from fair use.)

Poetry – All laws of copyright remain in effect with copyrighted poetry, and the same rule of thumb for song

lyrics also apply to poetry.

• If you are using a translation or an edited version of a poem in public domain, you must investigate

the copyright status of the translation or edited version itself. Just because an original poem is in

public domain does not automatically mean its translations or edited versions of it are also in public

domain.

Personal Interviews

If identifying interview subjects by name, written permission from the interviewees is required. Permission is

not required if using pseudonyms or withholding the interviewee’s identity, but you should note in the

Preface, Introduction, or Acknowledgments of the book that pseudonyms have been used and identities

withheld.

Epigraphs

Since epigraphs are used in a place of prominence within a text, they do not fall under the fair use

exception and

always

require reprint permissions (unless the material is in the public domain). This is

especially true if they serve as embellishments or to “set the scene.” Since these are unusual elements for

scholarly monographs, we strongly discourage our authors from using them. The only exception to this rule is

the use of quotes from long-form scholarly sources if the quote is analyzed in a scholarly manner in the

paragraph immediately following the epigraph.

Translations

Below is an abbreviated guide to translated material in your book:

• Your own translations of fiction or non-fiction published material under copyright:

o Up to 500 words or 5% of the source work: no permission required.

o Over 500 words or 5% of the source work: permission required from the copyright holder

of the original work.

• Quotations of published translations under copyright:

o Up to 500 words or 5% of the source work: no permission required.

o Over 500 words or 5% of the source work: permission required from both the copyright

holder of the translated work and the copyright holder of the original work.

• Your own translations of published public domain material or quotations of published translated

public domain material: no permissions required.

• We do not allow the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or other non-human translators. A human

translator may use AI technologies as a tool to assist in the translation, but the translation must be

substantially human creation.

Government Docs – Public Domain (with limits)

Any work created by a US federal government employee or officer is in the public domain, provided

that the work was created in that person’s official capacity. This includes elected officials’ speeches and

original content from official federal websites. This rule applies only to works created by federal employees and

not to works created by state or local government employees. However, state and local laws and court decisions

are in the public domain. Works commissioned by the federal government but created by a third party do not

fall within this public domain status.

Unpublished works by employees acting on behalf of a government entity become public domain 120 years

from the date of their creation. (e.g., In 2020, an unpublished circular from 1899 enters the public domain.)

Unpublished works by U.S. government employees produced on behalf of the U.S. federal government are

always public domain. (e.g., a government worker’s unclassified agency memo is public domain; her personal

letter to her mother is not.)

Unpublished Works by US Citizens

• Unpublished works by individuals—such as personal letters or unpublished manuscripts—belong to

their creators or their legal heirs up to 70 years after the date of the creator’s death.

• Anonymous unpublished works become public domain 70 years after the date of their creation. An

anonymously authored letter from 1935 is public domain; such a letter from 1960 is not.

Web-based Material

Web-based materials should be treated like the print sources they most closely resemble. Most content from

the internet, including images, is not in the public domain and will require permission to reprint. Check the

website’s ‘Terms of Use’ page.

IMAGES

Note on Sites like Wikimedia: Just because an image is on Wikimedia, Wikipedia, Flickr, Pixabay, etc. and

is tagged as public domain or creative commons does not mean that you should trust that status to be

accurate! Verify as much as possible the actual source of any image to show due diligence should any

questions arise. Confirm any use of internet-sourced images with your editor!

A Note on Terms:

• Reproduction of a figure means using a figure that has been previously published in exactly the

same form.

• Adaptation of a figure means changing the previously published form, for example by adding or

subtracting information. Both reproduction and adaptation of previously published work require

purpose).

• Redrawing a figure may allow you to reference an image or use the data or content of the image

without permissions. See the section on Charts/Graphs/Maps/Tables for further information

Photos/images/art

If you did not create the image, you probably need permissions. We do not accept AI-generated images,

artwork, design, or other visual elements for the book cover or interior.

Images from other publications

If the image you want to use was published by the original creator in a book, journal, magazine, or other

traditional publication, it is most likely under copyright by that publisher. To use the image, you must seek

approval from the publisher.

If the image you want to use was reprinted from another publication, you must seek out the original publisher

for permissions. If the original publication is now public domain because its copyright has expired, you may

copy the image from that original publication for use in your book, making sure to cite the usage properly.

Personal photos

If you took a photo of non-copyrighted material or have a snapshot of a public scene that does not contain

recognizable faces for which you’d need signed releases, you may reprint the photo without permissions.

Photos of art from museums

Whether or not you were the photographer capturing the image, you should check with the museum holding

the work of art to confirm that an image may be used. The answer will likely depend on whether the museum

owns the work or if it’s on loan from another museum or private owner.

Reverse Image Searching

You can often use a reverse image search engine to find out where an image came from, where it is being

used, and whether higher resolution or modified versions of the image exist.

• TinEye Reverse Image Search

• Google Reverse Image Search (To search by image with Google, click on the camera icon in the

search bar. You will be prompted to provide a URL for the image or upload it.)

Images including Trademarked Characters/Content

Even when used within the parameters of fair use or with paid permissions, images including trademarked

content (e.g. Disney or Marvel) are especially vulnerable to copyright contestation. Because of this, R&L

recommends that authors carefully consider permissions restrictions provided by rights holders and not

automatically assume fair use is in play, especially when the usage is negative or critical in argument. This

caution applies to both interior and cover images (which always require permissions).

Note that images purchased from Photofest or other image collections may include adequate permissions for

interior or cover usage. The bottom line: please check with your R&L editor to discuss any images containing

trademarked content.

If, after discussing the situation with your editor, it is determined you may move forward with the image(s),

please be sure to include a substantive caption that connects the image(s) to the text.

Useful links

Sources of public domain images:

• Library of Congress

• New York Public Library

Art Museums with Open Access Policies

• British Museum Copyright and Permissions

• Brooklyn Museum Copyright Policy

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art Terms of Use

• Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access Policy

• National Gallery of Art Open Access Policy

• Victoria & Albert Museum Terms of Use

• Walters Art Museum Policy on Digital Images of Collection Objects Usage

Sites with rights-free images (Make sure to look at each image’s details to note any restrictions!)

• Pexels

• Flickr

• Wikimedia

• StockSnap

• PixaBay

Charts/Graphs/Maps/Tables

If you wish to reprint a chart, graph, map, or table from another publication (digital or print), please follow

the guidelines in “Images from other publications.” In short, data and other factual information is not

protected by copyright; it’s presentation may be. Graphs and tables that simply present facts with little in the

way of creative display is not protected. Use of a single graph, table, or chart that presents data in a simple and

straightforward relationship is likely considered fair use, especially if discussed or analyzed substantively in the

body of your text. Graphics with a creative or expressive display, such as infographics, are likely protected

and require permission.

Best practice when using a chart, graph, map, or table is to rearrange or combine it with other data to

transform the visual presentation. When adapting source material in this way, you must cite the source(s) of

the information being used in your new graphic.

Useful links

• Data and copyright: https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/academic-integrity/copyright/data-copyright

• Graphs, charts, tables, and copyright:

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/83329/copyrightability_of_tables_charts

_and_graphs.pdf

• Pew Research Center: Graphics from Pew Research Center reports (except for those marked with

other copyright or source notation) are available for reprinting without permissions. Citation to the

Pew report must be included.

Stills from Movies/TV

You may use film or television screenshots you personally take as long as they fulfill the following criteria:

• The image is used to illustrate or support an argument or critique the work. It is not decorative.

• You do not use an excessive number of images (no more than is necessary to demonstrate the point

you are making)

• The screenshots meet our quality standards (see our Art Guidelines)

For the above instances, we recommend that the caption clearly connects the image to the argument you are

making in the text.

Examples of when you would need permission:

• If the stills/screenshots are purely illustrative

• If you are reproducing studio photographs or posters (e.g., printed or publicity materials)

• If the stills/screenshots were created by the production company or by a vendor like Photofest.

The above guidelines do not apply to cover images since covers are a promotional element for your book.

Please discuss this separately with your editor.

Screenshots from Social Media

As a general rule, only include screenshots of social media posts when you are directly engaging with and

analyzing the content as a part of your argument. Do not share screenshots from private accounts without

permission, and always credit the original poster. Below are general guidelines.

Different social media platforms have different copyright requirements. Please examine the user agreement

for the social media platform from which you are quoting to determine who holds the rights to the content.

Do not assume something posted on social media is fair use. Someone likely owns the content. If you cannot

determine who holds the rights to a social media post, please consult your acquisition editor.

Twitter

• Do not include screenshots from private Twitter accounts.

• Do not include Tweets with images of identifiable people in them (that are not public figures).

• Credit the user for the Tweet and include a link to the original Tweet in your citation.

Instagram

• Screenshot the entirety of the post, not just the image itself. This makes it clear you are not trying to

pass the image off as your own and adds additional content you are analyzing.

• Fair use is more likely to apply to factual works than artistic. For example, do not screenshot a post of

someone’s artistic photograph or other artistic intellectual property they are displaying through their

post.

• Do not include images of identifiable people (who are not public figures).

• Do not screenshot posts containing sensitive or personal information about someone’s life without

their permission.

• Instagram acknowledges fair use in their “help” section.

Facebook

• Avoid sharing posts from any individual’s page unless they are a public figure, organization, etc.

• Avoid sharing screenshots of comments sections that include people’s full names.

• Avoid sharing any photos of identifiable people (who are not public figures).

• Avoid sharing screenshots of posts in any private groups.

• When in doubt, err on the side of caution. This is most crucial with Facebook, since most people

use their full legal name on this platform.

Memes and Other Digital Media

Memes

• Memes are blurry in terms of copyright – the issue is typically not that the creator of the meme would

hold the copyright, but that the meme itself may contain other copyrighted material. When this is the

case, that prevents the original meme from being copyrightable. Because of this, it is best to avoid

sharing memes that contain very clearly copyrighted material that could have potential for litigation

from a larger corporation.

• There is not much precedent for legal proceedings regarding the copyright of memes – those that

have occurred were usually resolved with warnings or licensing fees. The risk of copyright violation

and legal action for reproducing memes are relatively low.

• Determine the nature of the image used within the meme—a stock image, such as the “boyfriend

looking away” meme, would be considered more creative than a meme that includes a candid or

journalistic photo.

• Make sure that any meme included is

directly

analyzed and engaged with as a part of your

argument. Do not include them just as a decorative or humorous element.

Screenshots of news articles or other webpages

• In a precedent set by Yang v. Mic Network, Inc. (S.D.N.Y. Sept 24, 2019), the court deemed Mic’s

use of a partial screenshot from a New York Post article fair use, citing primarily the transformative

nature of the use, since the Mic article discussed and added to the criticism surrounding the original

article.

The question of legality mainly surrounded the inclusion of a photograph that was included in the

article – the plaintiff was the photographer, not the New York Post. While ultimately, the use of the

photo was considered fair as well, it would be best to mitigate that risk by not including photographs

in screenshotted portions of an article whenever possible. While Mic won the ruling, the goal is to

avoid risk of legal action altogether.

Musical Scores/Notation

Scores in public domain: As a rule of thumb, musical scores created in or before 1926 are usually in the

public domain and okay to use. However, even if a piece was composed in or before 1926, you still need to

investigate the specific edition of the score you wish to use since that edition might still be copyrighted, especially if

it’s published after 1926 and not strictly an unedited reprint of an older edition.

• IMSLP.org is a commonly used resource for finding public domain scores. However, even if they

list a score as public domain, you should still verify that a score is truly in public domain in all

countries.

• Since music copyright laws vary per country, some scores might be public domain in the one country

but not public domain in other countries.

• Additionally, a handful of deceased composers might have estates, museums, or other entities who

still hold the copyright to the musical score. In these cases, you will need to seek permission from

those entities.

Copyrighted musical works: Copyright holders of musical works have the right to authorize others to

exercise reproduction rights of the copyrighted musical work. The right of reproduction is the right to duplicate,

transcribe, imitate, or simulate a work in a fixed form (such as musical notation). You will need to seek the necessary

reproduction right to do any of the above to a copyrighted musical work.

• Even if you are creating an arrangement or transcription (such as a piano reduction) of a copyrighted

musical work or sound recording, you still need to seek permission to reproduce the copyrighted

material.

• Music composed for video games, film, musicals, and television is copyrighted. You will need to seek

permission to include musical examples from these different media.

• Fair use guidelines still apply to copyrighted musical works, but this can easily become ambiguous for

reproducing musical works. You should check with your acquisition editor on a case-by-case basis.

Rights to the majority of copyrighted musical works and song lyrics are held with a handful of large music

publishers, so oftentimes, authors will find that they’ll only need to license rights from a few publishers for

common musical works. Below are some of the most common music publishers:

• Hal Leonard (https://www.halleonard.com/licensing/index.action) – Hal Leonard is one of the

largest music publishers in the world, and they own the rights to a lot of music. Hal Leonard is

notoriously slow at responding to licensing requests, often taking several months to reply, if at all, so

be sure to contact them early. Authors should submit all requests through the above website link.

Unless you are connected personally with someone who works in their licensing department, you

must use the generic form; most Hal Leonard employees will just direct you to that link. Licensing

lyrics from Hal Leonard is particularly expensive.

• Alfred Music (https://licensing.alfred.com/) – Alfred also owns the rights to a lot of music.

Authors should submit licensing requests through the above website.

APPLYING FOR PERMISSIONS

You should always start with the presumption that, if the creative work you want to use was first published

after 1926, U.S. copyright law protects it. There are only two ways that a work published after 1926 is not

protected: Either the owner of the work made a mistake (such as failing to renew the copyright), or the work

does not meet the minimum standards for copyright protection.

Plan Ahead

Expect getting permission to take anywhere from one to three months or more. Permission should be

obtained before you complete your work and submitted with your final manuscript. If you have any questions

about what requires permission, ask your acquisition editor.

Identify the Owner

Identifying the owner of the work you want to use is crucial to obtaining permission. Sometimes, this task is

simple. Often, you may be able to locate the rights owner just by looking at the copyright notice on the work.

Publishing company. Sometimes, more detailed research is required. Copyright ownership may have passed

through several hands since your copy of the work was published.

In addition, some kinds of art, such as film and recorded music, can involve multiple owners, each with a

separate right to different underlying works. For example, in order to use a Johnny Cash recording, you

would have to obtain permission from the record company, the music publisher (the owner of the song), and,

in some cases, from Mr. Cash’s estate.

You’ll find that the method of identifying owners differs from industry to industry. For example,

photographic reproduction rights are often owned by stock photo organizations, while many music

performance rights are owned by performing rights societies. Subsequent sections on the permission rules for

particular types of creative works will advise you on how to locate owners.

Identify the Rights You Need

The next step in getting permission is to identify the rights you need. Each copyright owner controls a bundle

of rights related to the work, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and modify the work.

Besides identifying the type of intended use, you’ll need to figure out some other details of your use of the

material. Specifically, your permissions agreement will need to deal with five common variables: exclusivity,

term, formats, print run, and territory. Ask your editor for this information.

• Exclusive or Nonexclusive

A permission agreement is exclusive if you are the only person who has the right to use the work as

described in the agreement. Most permission requests are nonexclusive (and this is what you

should request unless your editor instructs otherwise), meaning others can use the material in the

same way as you.

• Term of Use

The length of time for which you are allowed to use a work is often referred to as the “term.” For

materials being used in your R&L/LEX book, you should avoid a limited term if possible. Our

aim is to keep your book for sale indefinitely (or at least until a new edition is appropriate). If you

must set a term limit, consult with your editor on the appropriate number of years.

• Territory

Your rights under a permission agreement may be limited to a geographic region, referred to as the

“territory.” You should seek worldwide rights unless otherwise agreed to with your editor.

• Formats and Print Run

Whenever possible, you should seek rights for print (hardback and paperback) and eBook

rights. If your book is being published in hardback and eBook, having the paperback rights already

included in your permissions will be necessary if your book goes into a paperback printing. Consult

with your editor as to the print run you should state on your permissions requests.

Negotiate Whether Payment Is Required

Sometimes, the owner of the work will not require payment if the amount you wish to use is small. It is

always worth asking for a lower fee. While your book is not a non-commercial venture, it is academic in

nature. That will sway certain rights holders to accept a reduced fee.

Get It in Writing

Relying on an oral agreement or understanding is not an acceptable form of permission. You and the rights

owner may have misunderstood each other or remembered the terms of your agreement differently. Get

written permission agreements—do not rely on oral agreements.

Useful Links

• https://www.copyright.gov/circs/m10.pdf

• https://copyrightalliance.org/faqs/how-to-get-copyright-permission/

• https://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/obtaining-permission.html

• https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/introduction/getting-permission/

FAQs

What is COPYRIGHT?

as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas,

systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed or presented. See

• Copyright in General: https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html

• What Does Copyright Protect?: https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html

• US Copyright Office: http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/

• Copyright lengths in foreign countries:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries%27_copyright_lengths

Is this in the PUBLIC DOMAIN?

To determine whether a work is in the public domain and available for use without the author’s permission,

you first have to find out when it was published. Then apply the following rules to see if the copyright has

expired: (Note that this section applies only to works published in the USA)

• All works published in the United States in or before 1926 are in the public domain.

• Works published after 1926 but before 1978 are protected for 95 years from the date of publication.

• For works created or published after 1978, the copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years.

However, if the work is a work for hire (that is, the work is done in the course of employment or has

been specifically commissioned) or is published anonymously or under a pseudonym, the copyright

lasts between 95 and 120 years, depending on the date the work is published.

• Lastly, if the work was published between 1927 and 1963, you must check with the U.S. Copyright

Office to see whether the copyright was properly renewed. If the author failed to renew the copyright,

the work has fallen into the public domain and you may use it.

(See https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ22.pdf for info on investigating copyright status)

What constitutes FAIR USE?

flexibility that works to the advantage of users. Rather than following a specific formula, lawyers and

judges decide whether an unlicensed use of copyrighted material is fair according to a “rule of reason.”

To determine whether your use of material qualifies as fair use, start with these questions:

Nature:

The creative, unpublished, commercial, nonprofit, etc. “nature” of the material you want to

use impacts whether a court might consider reprinting it as fair use. Creative works (fiction, poetry,

lyrics, art works, etc.) are more protected and less likely to qualify for fair use. Materials from a

commercially produced works are also more protected because of potential Competitive Market Effect

(see below). The nature of your reuse is also a factor. This is why epigraphs (which are decorative in

nature) almost never qualify as fair use.

Proportion

: How significant a portion of the original work are you using? Quoting 100 words from

a 1,000-word article is less acceptable than quoting 100 words from a 50,000-word book.

Purpose

: Does your use of the work have the same purpose as the original creation or is your use

transformative in nature? (e.g., the reproduction of a shampoo ad in a textbook on advertising has

the purpose of critiquing ad design. The ad is illustrative of the book’s argument and furthers its

educational goal. It is not decorative or promotional in its reproduction. Thus, it is likely to be

considered fair use.)

Competitive Market Effect

: Does your usage in any way reduce or dilute the market value of the

original source for the copyright owner?

If the issues of proportion, purpose, or market effect are not easily dismissed, your usage is likely outside

the limits of fair use. The nature of copyright law does mean that there are no hard and fast guidelines. In

the end, each claim of fair use must be evaluated individually. Consult with your editor as early as possible

to settle any claims of fair use.

Can I use something with a CREATIVE COMMONS license?

There are There are six different licenses offered under CC. Only two of them provide sufficient license to not

require permissions for publication within your R&L/LEX book:

1. CC BY: Under this license, you are free to copy and redistribute the work in any medium or format, as well

as remix, adapt, and build upon the work for any purpose (including commercial use).

You must credit the creator, provide a link to the license, and specify if any changes were made.

2. CC BY-ND: Under this license, you are free to copy and distribute the work in any medium or format, as

long as you do not adapt the work in any way. Proper attribution must be given to the creator. This license

allows for commercial use.

The other four types of CC licenses are not sufficient for use without permissions. You must secure

permissions to include these types of materials in your book:

CC BY-SA: This would require your book to be published with its own CC BY-SA license applied.

CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SCA, and CC BY-NC-ND: These are for non-commercial uses only. Your book is a

commercial venture.

Can I use material from a dissertation or thesis? If so, do I need to seek permission for use?

Regardless of how it is published, if a thesis or dissertation includes copyrighted material beyond the

conventions of fair use (including in some cases material previously published by the author), the author must

secure written permission from the copyright holder and should be prepared to submit permissions

documentation with the paper.”

(https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/part1/ch04/psec060.html).

A rights holder says I may use content without permissions as long as it’s for “Educational Use.”

Does my book qualify as an educational use?

No, you cannot claim that your usage is purely educational because R&L is a commercial publisher and

authors earn royalties on sales.

What do you do if an interviewee is dead and you don’t have a signed consent form?

You will need to either secure a signed consent form from the interviewee’s estate or anonymize the interview

content.

If I quote the same passage twice does it “count against me” for the total allowed without requiring

permission?

In general, a second usage of material wouldn’t count towards your total usage from a source. That said,

repeating the same content multiple times is not advisable.

I found it on the internet, so it’s public domain, right?

No, you should never assume that content is public domain just because it’s available publicly online.

Why can’t I use an epigraph if I’ve cited it properly?

Because epigraphs are in a prominent place outside of the main body of the text. They do not follow standard

rules for fair use because of their decorative nature.

What if I can’t find the original source for an image on social media?

You should not assume you can use an image if you can’t find a source. See the section on social media for

more information on this.

Do I need permission to use my own previously published work?

This depends entirely on how the material was published. In general, you should clarify with the original

publisher of the material that you may reuse the content. You should also make clear citation to the original

publication in your new usage.