SUNY Empire Copyright Information Website: Getting Permission

When you need to use copyrighted materials, you are the one to get permission/a license

• The author of the content in which it will be used is always the one who signs the license. 
• Give yourself more time than you think you will need to secure permission.
• New! The Library can help you identify the copyright owner, negotiate the license, and track when it needs to be renewed. Please contact librarian@sunyempire.edu for licensing help.
• A written copy of the license is essential. Even if the Library is keeping a copy, the author of the content that uses the licensed content also needs to keep a copy.

• For a book that's in print, contact the publisher
• For a book that's out of print, contact the author or their estate
• For an article, contact the journal or magazine

Contact by email or phone first to confirm that they are the right person to ask. Generally, you'll use email to get permission/negotiate the license. If you are using land mail, be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and send it all by Certified Mail so that you can be sure that it arrived.  

For an image on the web, contact the copyright owner directly. 

For an image in a book or article, you can refer to the section on Getting Permission for Text instead.

Contact by email or phone first to confirm that they are the right person to ask. Generally, you'll use email to get permission/negotiate the license. If you are using land mail, be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and send it all by Certified Mail so that you can be sure that it arrived.  

Two separate contacts for music permission!

1. Rights to the song itself, from the music publisher. 
   You track down the music publisher by looking up the song in iMuzDB or another source listed below.
2. Rights to the recorded performance, a.k.a. master rights, from the record company, a.k.a. label
   Smaller record companies will put their name on the CD insert or in the metadata of the MP3 (or other digital music file)
   Larger record companies are listed below.  

Search for the exact artist, title, etc.

Rights Management Organizations

Databases you can search to get the contact information for the music publisher (song rights) and label (master rights.)

Contact by email or phone first to confirm that they are the right person to ask. Generally, you'll use email to get permission/negotiate the license. If you are using land mail, be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and send it all by Certified Mail so that you can be sure that it arrived.  

Who to contact

• Movie - copyright owner usually identified in a frame at the beginning of the film.
• TV show - copyright owner usually identified in the closing credits. 

Contact by email or phone first to confirm that they are the right person to ask. Generally, you'll use email to get permission/negotiate the license. If you are using land mail, be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and send it all by Certified Mail so that you can be sure that it arrived.  

Identifying the copyright owner may be the hardest part

• Make sure the content was posted legally
• Hopefully there is contact information for the copyright owner (even under a pseudonym)
• Hopefully they understand how copyright works enough to be willing to grant you a license
• Free or cheap licenses for educational use are likely from private individuals; unlikely from big corporations

Contact by email or phone first to confirm that they are the right person to ask. Generally, you'll use email to get permission/negotiate the license. If you are using land mail, be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and send it all by Certified Mail so that you can be sure that it arrived.