Copyright

Permission is required to use a work...

• for commercial purposes
• repeatedly
• in its entirety or when it's longer than 2,500 words

If you don't obtain permission through an authorized agent such as the Copyright Clearance Center, you must contact the copyright owner.

• The copyright owner is often named in the formal copyright notice accompanying the work. Such notices are no longer required, so many works lack the notice.
• Reference librarians can help find names and contact information.
• Call the parties on the phone and ask direct questions about ownership and rights of use.
• Copyright owners have wide discretion when responding to your request.
• Permission may be granted, denied, or granted only on condition of paying a fee.
• Copyright owners have no obligation to respond at all.
• For most educational and research use, copyright owners are cooperative.

A phone call may give you the exact name and address of the person to contact or even give you an immediate answer to your request. Oral permission granted over the telephone is legally valid, but good practice requires that you document the permission with a letter the grantor signs and returns to you.