Copyright info

HOW DOES COPYRIGHT RELATE TO ME?

Ownership of a book, manuscript, painting, photograph etc. does not give any right to copy or to use the work other than for personal use. Even if you commission an original portrait, you would only be able to frame and display the work. Without permission, you cannot even make a holiday card from the painting.
Similarly, no one can photocopy an entire book without violating the copyright owners exclusive rights in the work. In fact, radio stations and jukebox operators have to purchase licenses to broadcast or play music even if they own the records they are using.
End-users of copyrighted material have the legal responsibility to obtain permission to use the work before doing so, and this permission is granted with a usage license from the copyright holder.
 

HOW DO I GET PERMISSION TO USE A COPYRIGHTED WORK?

Permission to use a copyrighted work is called a license or rights. A usage license must be obtained from the owner of the copyright prior to using the work. The license can be oral or written. A simple letter or invoice is usually sufficient.
The usage license grants a certain user the right to use a work in a certain way, in a certain place, for a certain period of time. A license for a photograph should specifically state who the user is, how large the image may be used, how many times, in what specific media format(s), and for how long. Any uses not specifically granted in a license remain with the copyright holder