Seeking permission to use copyrighted material
You may be asked to supply copies of any emails or letters granting permission to reuse material, and it is your responsibility to obtain and retain this documentation as a condition of your publishing agreement with Cambridge.
In what cases do I need to request permission?
You need to request permission to reuse any material for which you are not the copyright holder. This can include anything created, published, owned, held or produced by a third party, but also other published material that you authored, as the original publisher may hold the copyright or the rights of reproduction.
Material from the internet
Please be aware that even if a copyright notice is not displayed, content on websites is still protected by copyright and so permission to reuse material will need to be obtained from the copyright holder.
In what cases do I not need to request permission?
- Content with a Creative Commons licence: Where third-party content has been published under a Creative Commons licence (CC-BY / CC-BY-NC / CC-BY-NC-ND etc.), you may not need to request permission to reuse the content as long as you comply with the restrictions of the licence and fully acknowledge the original source. Please carefully check the terms of the licence before reusing material. More information about Creative Commons licences can be found on the Creative Commons website .
- Content in the public domain: It's important to remember that public domain does not simply mean "publicly available". Public domain is a specific term for material that is not under copyright (for example, the period of copyright protection may have expired), and you do not need to request permission to reuse such material.
Can I edit or make a copy of third-party material to avoid having to seek permission?
No – just as you need permission to reproduce copyright-protected material, you also need permission to edit or adapt it, so redrawing or making cosmetic changes are not permitted without the consent of the copyright holder.
My manuscript includes third-party materials and will be published Gold Open Access. What type of permission do I need to request?
Gold Open Access content is published under Creative Commons licences, allowing it to be widely shared and reused by anyone. If your manuscript is to be published Gold Open Access, you will have to make sure all of the permissions requested from third-party copyright holders include the non-exclusive right to use their materials in the open access version of your publication. We have provided a template below that you can use to request permission to use third-party materials in an open access publication.
I want to change my publication’s licence terms to make it Gold Open Access. Do I need to ask for additional permission from third parties?
This will depend on the details of the permissions that you were originally granted. If you choose to convert your publication to open access after publication, or even after submission, you will need to review the permissions the copyright holder granted you, and determine whether or not they permit you to include their material in an open access publication. If not, then you will need to request further permissions from the copyright holder.
I want to deposit a version of my publication in an online repository, for example under a Green Open Access policy. Do I need to ask for additional permission from third parties?
This will depend on several factors, such as whether you plan to apply a Creative Commons licence when depositing your publication, whether the repository is a commercial entity, and details of the permissions that you have been granted by any third-party copyright holders. You will need to review the permissions the copyright holder granted you, and determine whether or not they permit you to share their material in the way you would like to.
My publication might be converted to open access in the future. What type of permission should I request?
If there is a chance that a Creative Commons licence might be applied to your publication in the future, we recommend that you ask copyright holders for permission to include their material in an open access publication using one of the "Gold Open Access inclusive" templates below. If you are publishing a book that will be part of Cambridge’s Flip it Open programme, you must obtain this permission before initial publication of your book.
Who do I send a permission request to?
Usually the publisher of the original work holds the copyright, unless explicitly stated otherwise. We recommend that you approach the original publisher first, and they will inform you if you need to contact the author or an alternative rightsholder.
How do I request permission?
Most publishers have forms on their websites that can be completed electronically, or use automated electronic permissions services like Rightslink® to grant permissions automatically online.
If no electronic form or service is available, you must send an email or letter to the copyright holder. We have provided templates for requesting permissions below, depending on whether you are requesting permission to apply a Creative Commons licence to your publication and publish it Gold Open Access.
How do I acknowledge permission in my manuscript?
Even if written permission is not required, you must fully acknowledge the original source of any material where you do not hold copyright. The copyright holder will inform you if they require any specific wording for this acknowledgement. For figures or tables from third parties, you should place this acknowledgement at the end of the caption.
What permissions information do I need to provide to Cambridge?
As an author it is your responsibility to obtain all necessary permissions and pay any related fees to reuse material where you do not hold copyright. You will be asked to confirm you have done so as a condition of signing your publishing agreement, and you may be asked to send us a copy of any permission statements, before or after publication. It is your responsibility to obtain and retain this documentation as a condition of your publishing agreement with Cambridge.
Permission request templates
We have provided sample templates below that you may use as a basis for requesting permission to use third-party materials in your publication. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain all necessary permissions.
Please choose from the templates below, depending on whether you are planning to publish a journal article or a book, and whether you intend to make your publication Gold Open Access under a Creative Commons licence.