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Some materials that authors may wish to include in their
manuscripts require permission from the rights owners for
reproduction. These include:
- Substantial quotations from published or unpublished works.
The principle of "fair use" provides for limited use of
copyrighted text. Brief extracts may be used for commentary or
criticism without permission if appropriate credit is given.
However, certain types of copyrighted text—poetry or song
lyrics, for example—will require permission to reproduce
even short quotations. A complete unit of any length (an essay, a
chapter, etc.) will always require permission.
Writings that are definitely in the public domain do not need
permission from a copyright standpoint. Works published in the
U.S. before 1923 are now in the public domain. Later works whose
copyright was not renewed after its original (28-year) term are
also in the public domain, but it is the author's responsibility
to demonstrate that copyright has expired in such cases. Most
copyrights do get renewed.
- Materials created by others for your book (such as a
foreword, an essay, or an interview). Permission is always
necessary for such items.
- Photographs that are not the author's own
property—personal snapshots; photographs from museums or
other institutions; items from collectors or commercial
providers. Authors wishing to use film or television related
photographs should discuss their plans with our editorial staff
before taking any action.
If you are in doubt about the need for permission, please feel
free to discuss your questions with any member of the McFarland
editorial staff.
What a Release Should Say
When obtaining permission from private individuals, the best
form is a simple statement that you "own" the materials in
question and that no remuneration is expected from the
publisher.
When dealing with other rights holders (publishers,
institutions, commercial providers), you need "nonexclusive world
rights." You may have to work with their standard releases. Try
to avoid term or print run limitations, as we need the freedom to
reprint your book whenever sales warrant.
All permissions must bear a signature and a date—this is
for the author's and publisher's protection. For this reason we
do not accept permissions by e-mail. If you must send out a
permission request by e-mail, insist that the permission provider
print it out, sign it, and return the signed paper to you.
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