How to find copyright owners

Often you can locate the copyright owner from the copyright notice on the work.  However, because copyright ownership sometimes passes through several hands since the work was first published a more detailed research may be required.  In addition, some works (especially in the fine arts like film and music), can involve multiple owners --each with a separate right to different underlying works.  Also different industries will require different methods for identifying copyright ownership.

For more details about finding copyright owners and getting the right kind of permission for your need visit Stanford’s Copyrights & Fair Use Web site.  The following Web sites can help you identify copyright owners and obtain permission to use their works.

Copyright Crash Course Permissions http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/permissn.htm

Great site that lists all the major rights organizations for requesting permission.

WATCH (Writers, Artists and Their Copyright Holders) at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center – Univ. Texas Austin.  http://tyler.hrc.utexas.edu/

A searchable database containing primarily the names and addresses of copyright holders or contact persons for authors and artists whose archives are housed, in whole or in part, in libraries and archives in North America and the United Kingdom.

Public Moving Image Archives and Research Centers - http://lcweb.loc.gov/film/filmofr.html

Copyright Clearance Center - http://www.copyright.com/

More Copyright in the Classroom

Copyright in the Classroom

The Copyright Law

What are Copyrightable works?

What is protected by copyright?

The Copyright Notice

What cannot be protected by copyright?

Public Domain

Protected from Public Domain

Fair Use Exemption

Fair Use Checklist

Classroom Guidelines

Face-to-Face Teaching Exemption

Students & Copyright

Work for Hire

Copyright and the Web

Investigating Copyright Status

Getting Permission

Permission Letters

Some myths about copyright

International Copyright

DMCA Designated Agent

TEACH Act

Library & Copyright

Current Legislation & Case Law

Helpful Web sites

Resources on Copyright Law

The information presented here is not legal advice. Individuals and organizations should consult their own attorneys.

© Janet Tillman/The Master’s College, 2004, permission is granted for non-profit educational use; any reproduction or modification should include this statement.