Copyright: Permissions and Release Forms

Which Release Forms do you need?

Videotape Release Form  This form releases the performance of a Guest Speaker/Lecturer.

• Advance consent is required before a presenter may be videotaped or recorded.

• Centre College and the Center for Teaching and Learning must be provided with a signed form fromall guest speakers who agree to be videotaped or audiotaped at least 24 hours in advance of the event of classroom presentation.

• Please note the following:
  • A separate release form is needed for each member of a presenting panel.
  • Videotaping of crowd or audience participants is not permitted.
  • If you would like to record a performance of copyrighted works (such as orchestral or dramatic performances), you will need to obtain the synchronization rights from the Harry Fox Agency. (What are "Synch" rights?)

Photograph Release Form  This form releases your photograph to Centre College.  

Archive Release Form This form releases a student's multimedia project to be archived.

Audio Recording Release Form This form releases an audio-recording of a lecture.

Creating a Podcast?

• If there are no other persons in the room besides the speaker-use this release: Solo Podcast Release Form

• If there is a class-use this release: Class Podcast Release Form

If your Form is not located here, make sure it is not on the Permission Forms Page!

You must fill out and turn in the Correct Permissions Form for certain uses on campus.

Music Permissions:

• Arranging Music?  You need to obtain Permission!See Sample Letter
• Out of print music?  You must obtain Permission! See Sample Letter

Course Pack Permissions

• What is a Coursepack? A coursepack is a compilation of book chapters and articles that is used in lieu of a textbook.  The bookstore can help you with obtaining the permissions necessary to use the book chapters and articles.  Typically, the publisher or rights holder will allow for the material to be copied for inclusion in the coursepack for a fee.  The coursepack is often then sold in the bookstore.
• Contact the Bookstore for help with your coursepack.  Linda Minteer is the Manager of the Bookstore and can help you with your coursepack questions.
• Until 1991, coursepacks had been compiled and sold without the permission of or compensation to the rights holder(s).  In (Basic Books Inc. v. Kinko's Graphics Corp., 758 F.Supp. 1522 (S.D. N.Y. 1991), the court ruled that this was not a fair use and that permission and/or compensation was necessary and lawful.
• Two sources for private clearance companies, who will search for and obtain the permissions for you for use of the material in a coursepack, are:  Copyright Clearance Center and XanEdu
• Assembling your own Coursepack:

• Instead of hiring a clearance company to obtain clearance and assemble a coursepack, you (or the divisional secretary) can do it. Why take on this extra work? There may be two good reasons: 1) a clearance company may be unable to obtain permission for certain items that you may be able to obtain yourself; and 2) by doing it yourself you can save students' money by minimizing your fees.

  It's not unusual for a clearance company to be unable or unwilling to acquire permission for certain works. Here's why: Clearance companies typically enter into affiliations with academic publishers--that is, they get permission in advance to use all the material in the publisher's catalog. This avoids having to spend the time and bother of asking permission to use each individual item. This works fine so long as the material you want to use comes from publishers who have affiliated with the coursepack company. But if the material is not from one of these pre-cleared publishers, the clearance company often will not even try to get permission, or will be unable to obtain permission if they do try.

  Here are some suggestions for preparing your own coursepack:

  ·         Start with the publisher (not the author) of the item you want to use and direct your request to the publisher 's permissions, licensing or clearance department. If the publisher doesn't control the rights you need, they can probably direct you to the rights holder. Information about locating publishers is provided in Chapter 2, Section A2.

  ·         Obtain permission for works whether or not they are in print. Even if a work is out of print, you still need permission to use it unless it is in the public domain.

  ·         Fax or mail your request at least three to nine weeks before your class begins (most publishers will not accept email requests for permission). (See a sample coursepack request form and permission form)