Author Copyright FAQs

Here you can find an overview about frequently asked questions.

Why should I transfer copyright?

There are two main reasons why we ask you to transfer copyright to Palgrave Macmillan (or to the journal owner):

  • ownership of copyright by the journal owner facilitates international protection against infringement of copyright, libel or plagiarism;
  • it also ensures that requests by third parties to reprint or reproduce a contribution, or part of it, in either print or electronic form, are handled efficiently in accordance with our general policy which encourages dissemination of knowledge within the framework of copyright.

Please click on this link to MyPublication Process for more information on the publication agreement forms offered

Will transferring copyright prevent me from exploiting my own work?

Not at all. As an author, you retain many rights and in the following cases you will not need to obtain specific permission from Palgrave Macmillan, although you should provide the usual acknowledgements regarding copyright and reference to first publication. You have the right to:

  • make copies (without charge) of the Contribution for personal use, including classroom teaching use (but not for inclusion in course pack material for onward sale by libraries and institutions);
  • make and distribute copies of the Contribution to colleagues, for the personal use by such colleagues (but not commercially or systematically, e.g. via an e-mail list or list serve);
  • present the Contribution at a meeting or conference and to distribute copies to the delegates attending the meeting;
  • patent and trademark rights and rights to any process or procedure described in the Contribution;
  • use the Contribution or any part thereof in a printed compilation of works of the author, such as collected writings or lecture notes (subsequent to publication of the contribution in the journal);
  • prepare other derivative works, to extend the Contribution into book-length form, or to otherwise re-use portions or excerpts in other works authored by you (subsequent to publication of the contribution in the journal);
  • for the author's employer, if the article is a 'work for hire', made within the scope of the author's employment, the right to use all or part of the Contribution for other intra-company use (e.g. training).
  • NB: the above use of the term 'Contribution' refers to the author's own version, not the final version as published in the Journal.

What do I need to do about using previously published material?

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. Add your acknowledgements to the typescript, preferably in the form of an Acknowledgements section at the end of the contribution. Credit the source and copyright of photographs or figures in the accompanying captions.

What if I am a UK or US government employee?

There are publication agreement forms specifically for Crown and US government employees. Please see the MyPublication Process for more information.

What if my employer holds the copyright?

Where work is carried out by an author in their capacity as an employee of a Company, it may be the case that copyright is held by the Company. In this case it is important to ensure that someone with suitable authority within that Company signs the Publication Agreement. 

Must all authors sign the Publication Agreement?

The MyPublication Process is set up so that the corresponding author acts on behalf of her/his co-authors. Please see the MyPublication FAQs for more information

Can I send a faxed copy of the Copyright Assignment Form?

There is no need for faxing or sending of forms, the online process guides the author through the necessary steps.