Seeking permissions
On this page, you can learn how to contact copyright owners for permission to use their materials. You need to seek permission if:
- no exception in the Copyright Act applies to your use
- your intended use differs from a licence agreement
- there is no information on how the material can be used
Please note that copyright owners may charge you a fee for the use of their work.
Elements to include in a permission request
Description of material
Include a description of the work, or portion of the work, that you want to use.
Example description:
I am requesting permission to include the following excerpts from your [publication(s)/website/film/etc.] in my [project]:
Describe the publication(s)/website/film/etc.:
[Title, Author(s), Editor(s), ISBN/ISSN, Publication date, Page range(s), URL, Selection(s), Excerpt title, etc.]
Use of material
Include details about how you want to use the material, such as:
- format: will you make it available online (for example, PDF or EPUB) or in print?
- distribution: will it be freely available forever, or will you share it with a select group for individual use?
- purpose: will you use it for non-profit, for educational purposes or a commercial use?
- licensing: if you plan to apply an open licence to the work in which you are including the third-party content (for example, a Creative Commons license), include the type and details of the licence in the permission request.
Acknowledgment
Confirm with the rights holder that you will acknowledge their copyright ownership and grant of permission. Make sure to ask if they have a preference for how this information is presented.
Permission request templates
Use these letters as templates when drafting your request:
Permission statements
Proper attribution and citation are important for copyright compliance. You can adapt the sample statements below based on who has granted you permission. Always follow the citation style for your discipline.
Permission from the copyright holder
© 2001 J. Smith. This material has been reproduced with the copyright holders' permission. Further reproduction, distribution or transmission is prohibited, except as otherwise permitted by law.
Permission from a publisher
© 2001. Reproduced by permission of Wiley-Blackwell Publishers. Further reproduction, distribution or transmission is prohibited, except as otherwise permitted by law.
If you cannot find the copyright owner
In some cases, you may not be able to contact the copyright holder to obtain permission. This includes cases when you contact them and receive no response, or when you are not able to find them at all.In either case, you can still use a short excerpt for fair dealing purposes. Please remember to retain records regarding your attempts.
A statement should be attached to the work, similar to the following:
© 2001 John Smith. Due diligence has been conducted in attempting to locate and request permission from the copyright holder. Reproduced under section 29 of the Canadian Copyright Act: fair dealing.
If your purpose is other than for fair dealing purposes, you must contact the Canadian Copyright Board for permission to use a work for which the copyright holder is unlocatable.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact the Copyright Office at copyright@uvic.ca.
The Copyright Office makes every effort to provide accurate information but does not offer it as counsel or legal advice.