Who owns the copyright?
The publishing agreement states whether copyright remains with the author or is otherwise assigned/licensed for publication.
LICENCES & COPYRIGHT
Clear rights, transparent licences and responsible reuse
Copyright, author rights, publication licences, open-access licences and permissions are defined transparently for each AvenSci publication.
RIGHTS PRINCIPLE
Copyright, licence and access model are related — but not the same thing.
The publishing agreement defines which rights remain with the author, which rights are licensed to AvenSci and how readers may reuse the published work.
CORE PRINCIPLES
Four questions every publication should answer clearly
What may AvenSci do?
The agreement defines the rights needed to edit, produce, distribute, preserve and promote the publication.
What may readers reuse?
Reuse depends on the applicable licence, access model and any third-party restrictions.
What rights are excluded?
Material owned by others may carry separate terms even when included in an Open Access publication.
COMMERCIAL PUBLISHING
Commercial publication does not mean authors lose all rights
For commercial publications, the publishing agreement defines the rights AvenSci needs to publish, distribute and sell the work, together with author rights, permitted reuse and applicable royalty terms.
Author rightsDefined contractually and may include scholarly, teaching and repository uses where agreed.
Publisher rightsRights necessary for production, distribution, sales, preservation and promotion are expressly documented.
ReuseReaders generally require permission for uses beyond statutory exceptions or the licence granted.
OPEN ACCESS LICENCES
Creative Commons licences define what readers may do
The exact licence is confirmed in the publishing agreement and displayed with the publication. AvenSci may support more than one licence depending on funder, institutional and publication requirements.
Attribution
Allows sharing and adaptation, including commercial reuse, provided appropriate attribution is given and other licence conditions are met.
Often preferred by funders requiring broad reuse.Attribution — NonCommercial
Allows sharing and adaptation for non-commercial purposes with attribution. Commercial reuse requires separate permission.
May be suitable where broader commercial control is desired.Attribution — NonCommercial — NoDerivatives
Allows non-commercial sharing of the unchanged work with attribution; adaptations require separate permission.
More restrictive and may not satisfy all funder mandates.
Important: AvenSci will not imply that one Creative Commons licence is appropriate for every project. Funder and institutional requirements must be checked before contracting.
THIRD-PARTY MATERIAL
Open Access does not automatically make third-party content openly reusable
Authors must identify material owned by others and obtain permissions compatible with the intended publication model wherever required.
Figures & photographsPreviously published or externally owned artwork may require written permission.
Tables & datasetsSource, ownership and licence status must be checked before reuse.
Text extractsSubstantial quotations or protected text may require permission beyond quotation exceptions.
Maps, screenshots & mediaRights can involve multiple owners and platform-specific restrictions.
AUTHOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Permissions should be resolved before final production
01Identify third-party materialReview every figure, table, image, extract and dataset.
02Check ownership and licenceConfirm whether reuse is already permitted.
03Request permissionObtain written permission where required.
04Supply documentationProvide licences and credit-line requirements to AvenSci.
05Verify final creditsCheck captions and acknowledgements during proofs.
REPOSITORIES & AUTHOR VERSIONS
Repository rights depend on the publication agreement and version
AvenSci will define permitted deposit and sharing rights for commercial publications and will respect applicable Open Access licence terms for openly published content.
Pre-production version
Deposit rights may be permitted under the publishing agreement, potentially subject to version, timing or acknowledgement requirements.
Post-review version
Repository sharing terms should be checked against the specific contract and any funder requirement.
Published AvenSci version
Reuse and repository sharing follow the published licence and contractual terms displayed with the work.
PERMISSIONS REQUESTS
Requests to reuse AvenSci material should identify the exact content and intended use
Clear rights for authors and readers
Copyright and licensing terms are defined in the relevant publication agreement and displayed with the published work where appropriate. The exact arrangement may differ between open-access and commercial publications.
Author warranties
Authors must have the authority to submit the work and grant the rights required for publication. They are responsible for identifying third-party material and obtaining permissions where necessary.
Open-access licences
Open-access works are distributed under the licence specified for that publication. Readers should consult the licence notice before reuse because attribution, adaptation and commercial-use conditions can vary.
Commercial publications
Purchase of a commercial ebook or chapter provides access for the purchaser under the applicable terms; it does not transfer copyright or grant unrestricted redistribution rights.
Permissions and reuse
Requests to reuse content beyond the applicable licence or statutory exception should be directed to the rights holder or AvenSci as appropriate.
RESPONSIBILITY
Authors clear third-party rights; AvenSci documents the publication licence
AvenSci records the agreed publishing rights and licence, while authors remain responsible for identifying third-party material and obtaining necessary permissions unless otherwise agreed in writing.
PUBLISHING RIGHTS
Submit a Proposal
Rights and licence terms are confirmed before publication
Choose the publishing route first; the appropriate rights and licence terms are then documented in the publishing agreement.