There may be occasions when you will need to request permission to use materials from third-party publishers in your course. There are two ways to accomplish this: working with a vendor to create a custom course reader or directly requesting permission to use the material from its copyright holder yourself.
Course Reader
A course reader (sometimes known as a coursepack) is a custom compilation of works from various resources produced by a third-party vendor. As the instructor, you select the readings you want to include and specify the order in which they will be assembled, then hand this information to the vendor, who negotiates the rights and licenses to use the resources. The vendor then sells the course reader to your students. (The cost to license the works is included in the cost of the course reader.)
Having a course reader made is definitely the easiest option, but it is certainly not the least expensive. Since the request for the right to reproduce and redistribute is from a vendor, there will typically be a cost associated with getting permission to use materials.
Process for Requesting Course Readers
UCLA provides custom course reader services and has worked with UCLA Extension instructors and staff for several years. They can be reached via email at readers@asucla.ucla.edu or via phone at 310-825-2831.
Copyright Holder
As an instructor, you can also request permission from the copyright holder yourself. It can take anywhere from one to four weeks to get a response back from a publisher. The publisher may request compensation (otherwise known as royalty payments) in exchange for granting permission.
If you want to distribute the material, you will need to pay the compensation requested by the publisher to avoid copyright infringement. Keep in mind that UCLA Extension does not cover or reimburse royalties for your permission requests.
Process for Requesting Permission
To review each step, click the tabs below.
Step One: Gather Information
To request permission, start by gathering the following information:
- the publisher
- creator of the work
- the date of publication (copyright date)
- amount of the work to be used
- number of students in your course (an estimate is okay if your course hasn’t started)
- how you plan on distributing the content
This information will be used in the permission request form.
Step Two: Fill out the Permission Request Form
Once you have the information above, fill out the permission request form [PDF download], and be as specific as possible. Keep in mind that filling out a permission request does not guarantee that permission will be granted or that it will be granted at no cost.
Step Three: Find the Publisher's Permissions Department
With the form completed, search the internet for the permissions department for the publisher. For example, if you want to use an excerpt from a book published by Wiley and Sons, search for "Wiley and Sons permissions department." Some publishers will:
- Have an email address where you can direct your permission requests. If this is the case, you may attach your permission request form to the email.
- Require a form-based permission request. If this is the case, provide the information requested in the form.
- Outsource permission clearance to a third-party vendor like the Copyright Clearance Center. In this instance, the Copyright Clearance Center acts as an agent on behalf of the publisher. Please note that if you are directed to the Copyright Clearance Center, you may have to create an account on their website and complete a permission request form. If you have a permission request that is routed through the Copyright Clearance Center, there may be a charge.