Library Services for Faculty

You will need permission from the copyright owner to use a work when it is used...

• for commercial purposes. 
• repeatedly 
• in its entirely or more than 2,500 words.  

How can you get permission from the copyright owner? 

• Put your request in writing. Use the example below to guide your writing.  
• Put the following information in your permission request: 
  • Identify the work you want to use: Author, Title, format, etc. 
  • Determine what type of permission you are seeking: how, where, how many times, and how long are you going to use?

Helpful Tips:

Be sure to give yourself enough time to obtain permission. There is no required timeframe in which the owner or creator need to reply by. If you do not receive a reply, it doesn't mean you have received permission. 

Oral permission granted over the phone is legally valid. Good practice requires that you document permission with a letter the grantor signs and returns to you. 

Virtually everything is copyrighted. Faculty must ensure they abide by copyright restrictions when posting copyright material to Canvas.