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Copyright Permissions

When the nature or the extent of copying that you wish to do falls outside the compass of "fair dealing" or the institution's license with Access Copyright, the onus is on you to obtain permission from the copyright holder and to maintain records of such permissions. Otherwise, you may be held personally liable and subject to the civil and criminal remedies outlined in the Copyright Act.

The first step in obtaining permission is to establish who holds copyright on the work. Check the item itself for this information. Likely places to find it are:

• verso (flip side) of the title page
• slip case of a video, sound recording, or boxed set
• credits statement (beginning or end of a video)
• rights statement on a web page
• accompanying contract or licence

If you are unable to ascertain who holds the copyright, you may also contact the rights agency for the materials (e.g., Access Copyright, SOCAN, Government of Canada, etc.) or the publisher, requesting the information. For a list of North American publishers, consult the following links:

• Publishers' Catalogues Home Page (books)



• American Association of Publishers: Permission Contacts

If you require additional assistance in this regard, please contact Holland College Library Services at 566-9558 or library@hollandc.pe.ca.
Once you have established who holds copyright, you should write or fax a letter to that person or agency (attention: permissions), requesting leave to use the material. Your letter should include the following information:

• your name
• the name of the institution
• the intended use of the material
• the intended audience for distribution/performance (e.g., educational, not for profit, intranet users with controlled access)
• the intended duration of distribution/performance (e.g., one academic term only, number of times it will be used)
• the intended medium of reproduction (e.g., paper, video, broadcast, electronic)
• the title of work
• the author/editor/creator of the work
• the date of publication/production
• the time or origin of broadcast, where applicable
• the ISBN, ISSN, catalogue number, program number, or other unique identifier
• the chapters, pages, or section to be duplicated
• the number of copies to be made
• the provision for payment of royalty fees, if any are due

You may wish to consult sample permissions letters and forms at the following sites:

• Association of American Publishers: Tips to Consider When Requesting Permission



• Government of Canada Application for Copyright Clearance

If you receive permission to copy the material, you should keep a copy of the letter, fax or form granting permission for your records. You should also ensure that your copies include a statement regarding the holder of copyright and the fact that you obtained permission for the specific use.