Higher Education Committee:
Campus Copyright Education Program Copyright Education Committee

Copyright Education for Campuses

This Committee is responsible for overseeing activities to create awareness about copyright on college campuses. It has created a "Best Practices Tip Sheet" to help publishers develop efficient permissions processing systems, and its members offer to speak at industry meetings on the importance of copyright protection. The committee works closely with the National Association of College Stores, the Association of American University Presses, the Software & Information Industries Association, and the Copyright Clearance Center. For additional information: Barbara Meredith, bmeredith@publishers.org.

Association of American Publishers

Best Practices for Permissions Processing

This tip sheet has been created by the Association of American Publishers Copyright Education Committee to help publishers more efficiently process permissions. For more information, please contact Barbara Meredith at bmeredith@publishers.org.

Make it easy for people to request permission.

• Include a customized form in the back of each book, post it on your website, and have it on hand to fax to anyone who calls your office seeking permission. A sample is included in this packet.
• Include a URL address on the copyright page of each book that users can go to for more information about how to request permissions.

Make sure your internal process is as efficient as possible.

• Review requests for missing information
  • Keep handy a checklist of the information you need so you can collect missing information as quickly as possible.
    
• Make sure you own the rights
  • To avoid spending time on misdirected requests, review requests as they come in to weed out those for which you do not own the rights.
    
  • To avoid duplicating your work, create a database of every request that comes in so you will have a resource for checking on rights ownership. The database could be as simple as Microsoft Access, or as complex as a permissions processing software program that is designed specifically for your company. For more information on the software that is available, call one of your colleagues on the "Contact Information" sheet.
    
• Keep a readily available source for information within your company
  • Create or obtain access to a database or assign a staffer to maintain information on your titles, including whether the book is still in print, the number of pages, the net price, and other items that will be useful when processing requests.
    
• Decide whether to check the books
  • Each company should decide whether books should be checked to verify that the request is not for third party material.
  • If you decide not to check the books, it is a good idea to maintain a current database that includes relevant information about books that have third party material.

Set up standard practices that help increase efficiency.

• Efficiently facilitate the permission license
  • If you have access to a database or maintain a dedicated rights database, processing your permissions licenses directly from it will allow you to quickly issue the license and keep track of the licenses you issue.
  • Use of a preprinted response form also expedites the response, but this method may increase the amount of time you need to spend recording the terms of the license in your database.
  • As in the case of using preprinted response forms, approving requests by stamp will save you time in responding to requests but may require additional work in tracking requests in your database.
• Save time by issuing licenses for more than one semester
  • Consider creating a multi-semester academic license so that you won't have to process the same requests each year. When using multi-semester licenses, be sure you have a mechanism in place for collecting revenue at the end of each semester.
• Keep written documents for your department
  • Write down your standard procedures for use in both training and as a reference during day-to-day operations. Add to it and make changes as new situations arise.
  • Keep the fee schedule handy for use as reference.
  • If your company has different divisions, write out the process and/or guidelines used in each.
• Start a file of form letters
  • Create a file in which you keep form letters for every new situation that arises, including the basic granting or denying of permission. The file will become a real time saver as it grows.
  • Letters for the file include:
    • Re-publication Permission
    • Third Party Material
    • Public Domain
    • Need Additional Information
    • Referral
    • Classroom Permission
    • Denial for Too Much Material
    • Denial for Other Reason
• Set up a system for prioritizing requests
  • Most publishers prioritize based on when the requests are received and the deadlines of the requesters, and some also take into account the type of request and the date that the request was sent.
  • Prioritizing by date the order was sent will help you locate requests when people call to check the status, and having a general system for prioritizing will help you stay organized overall.
• Establish a standard turnaround time
  • Your customers will appreciate knowing how long they can expect to wait for approval, and you can determine an average time by taking a careful look at your process.
  • It is important to be flexible though, to allow for rush requests.
  • Be aware of and prepare for the standard busy seasons. One way to prepare is by making sure that you don't have a backlog at the start of the busy season. It may also be necessary to budget for overtime and temporary help during this time, and to extend or stagger your office hours to accommodate universities located in different time zones.