Permission Requests
If a work is protected by copyright and the intended use is not covered under a licensing agreement, Fair Dealing or another exception in the Copyright Act, you are required to obtain permission from the copyright holder or its agent.
If you wish to request permission to copy a protected work, you may contact the rights holder directly, or email the details of your request to the York's Copyright Support Office at copy@yorku.ca.
If you make the request to the rights holder there are a few things that you should remember:
1. Copyright holders may refuse to grant permission or charge a royalty fee that you are not willing to pay. Start the permission process early. This will give you time to make an alternate choice for the class reading material, if needed.
2. When you are making a request to copy remember to include all relevant information so that your request is not delayed. Clearly state that no changes will be made to the material and that acknowledgement to the author and rights holder will be given.
3. You can usually obtain the Permissions Editor’s email address on the Publisher’s website but if you have difficulty locating the rights holder ask the Copyright Support Office for assistance at copy@yorku.ca.
4. Always keep a copy of the permission request and the rights holder’s response in your department’s records.
5. Your email to a rights holder should include all of the information set out below.
Date of your request:
York University
Course Name:
Course Code:
Instructor:
Term Start & End Date:
Date Material will be Needed:
Source Title:
ISBN, ISSN or URL (if applicable):
Publisher & Publication Year:
Author(s):
Editor(s):
Page Range to be Copied:
Chapter # & Title (if applicable):
Number of Copies to be made:
Type of Copying (Digital on a password protected Moodle site) / Print for class handouts):
For Classroom Educational Use (Yes/No):
_________________
A sample letter requesting permission to use copyright-protected content for Open Educational Resources (OER that can be adapted to your needs is included below.
