Publication and Copyright Ownership

Few university faculty realize when they submit a paper for publication they are giving away their right to their Copyright.

Faculty members will submit research papers to the repository often unaware that they have signed away the rights to their work to a journal publisher, Ms. Davis said. “They are stunned that they have not retained the copyrights,” she said. “They’re vehemently adamant” that they still have rights to the work.

In our experience, few authors value their Copyright, and even fewer publishers respect an author's claim to want to own the Copyright from page one publication of their work.

As the original creator of the work, the Author, by default, owns the Copyright in full and cannot lose Copyright unless and until that right is explicitly released verbally, or by agreeing to a publication policy, or by acquiescing that right in writing.

Beware of what you say and what you sign!