modified from Cornell University Libraries
Despite the power authors have as copyright owners, they become powerless when naively signing away their copyrights when executing an author agreement. Most author rights agreements transfer all copyrights to the publisher in their entirety. Researchers should thoroughly read their publishing agreements. Have questions? Contact us.
A complete transfer of copyright can have the following negative implications:
- Transferring distribution rights may prohibit an author from publishing the work in a repository or other source as required by the terms of a funding agreement;
- Transferring reproduction, distribution, public display, or public performance rights may prohibit an author from sharing their work with their students, colleagues, or professional organization;
- Transferring reproduction, distribution, public display, or public performance rights may prohibit an author from sharing their work in their institutional repository or website, in some cases triggering receipt of a take-down notice;
- Transferring the right to make derivative works may prohibit an author from creating follow-up or related works based on their own research;
Bottom line:
- Transferring all copyrights means authors no longer own their work or the right to control where or how it appears; and
- Transferring all copyrights may result in a publisher reusing an author's works without permission or notice.
