There are several ways to obtain copyright permission. You may try to get permission directly from the copyright holder or you may use a service such as the Copyright Clearance Center. NSCC faculty and staff are responsible for seeking their own permissions. The NSCC bookstore has a service that can be used for permission for course packs.

Permission must be obtained each time an item is used unless a blanket permission has been secured. Complete documentation of all permissions, denials, and other correspondence should be kept for several years.

Using the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)
The Copyright Clearance Center is fee-based and requires that an account be established. The information needed to identify the specific material you want to use will usually be displayed on the copyright notice page of the original (e.g., title, author, date, ISBN or ISSN numbers). See the Copyright Clearance Center web site, or contact them by phone 978-750-8400, or email info@copyright.com.

Applying for direct permission
It can be cheaper, but sometimes more difficult, to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. Remember to allow sufficient lead time for the author or publisher to respond to the request. Having complete and accurate information will facilitate the request. When requesting permission to duplicate include a complete bibliographic citation of the material to be used, including title, author and/or editor, copyright or publication date, volume and/or issue and/or edition of the publication, chapter or article title, exact page numbers of the material to be used, and number of copies to be made. Also indicate the type of use to be made of the copies (e.g., course material).

If you are having difficulty obtaining addresses or telephone numbers of publishers, there are a variety of directories that a reference librarian may be able to help you with.

Course packs
The bookstore will obtain permissions for any materials in your course packs that are not your original creations. Please allow at least three weeks before the quarter. See Course Packs for more information.

Library reserves and e-reserves
Faculty need to have copyright permission for any materials they request to be put on reserve in the library that do not fall under fair use guidelines. See the Reserves section for more information.

Learning Lab Calendar Making Learning Visible Community Learning Groups Online Resources

Assessment Copyright/Plagiarism Distance/eLearning Orientation Pedagogical Resources

Advisory Committee STARS

tlcnorth@sccd.ctc.edu Directions Staff

How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?

1. A work published or copyrighted after Jan. 1, 1978 is protected for the life of the author plus 70 years.

2. Works published before Jan. 1, 1978 are protected for 28 years beyond the original copyright date. Copyright may be renewed for a total of 75 years from the original date.

3. Works published before 1923 can be assumed to be in the public domain.

See chart on when works pass into the public domain.