Seeking Copyright Permission

Process

Are you the copyright holder?
If NO, then you need to seek permission from the copyright holder.

In Canada, copyright holders often assign their rights to a collective agency to facilitate the permission seeking process and the payment of royalty fees. Check the information listed under the appropriate format of the work you are seeking to use; you  may find that the copyright holder is represented by a Collective, in which case you should deal with the Collective directly.

When contacting a collective agency or a rights holder to seek copyright permission, this is the type of information they will need to know:

(1) An exact description of the item:

• For a book, include full publication information, including ISBN, edition, page numbers, etc.
• For a website, include the URL which links directly to the item.

(2) A description of the proposed use, including duration and form of distribution:

• Example: "I wish to use this image in a PowerPoint presentation to my Science 101 class on September 1, 2004. Also, the image will appear on class handouts, which will be distributed to 30 students."
• If the proposed use is to post the item on a website, is the website password protected? How many students will have access to the site?

(3) A statement on profit:

• Example: "The handouts will not be sold, and no profit will be derived from the use of this image."

(4) Information on who you are, including contact information:

• For students, state your name and full contact information (address, phone, email). You may wish to include your program of study.
• For faculty and staff, state your name, position, and full contact information (address, phone, email).

Note that you are obligated to keep the letter of permission on file.