Why should I transfer copyright?

The transfer of copyright is standard practice in magazine and journal publishing. It is designed to ensure the widest possible dissemination of your article and provide protection from copyright abuse.

WARC, like the majority of journal publishers, requires authors to assign to WARC and/or to the Journal in which you are being published, and/or to the Society for whom we publish the Journal the copyright, in all forms, of articles accepted for publication. This is because:

• Ownership of copyright by WARC ensures maximum international protection against infringement or plagiarism.
• It enables WARC to deal efficiently with requests from third parties to reproduce, reprint, or translate your article, or part of it, and in accordance with a general policy which reflects changes in international copyright law. We will make every effort to seek your permission before granting requests from other publishers to reproduce your entire article in, for example, a book, magazine or website.
• Assignment of copyright signifies your agreement for WARC to publish the article in electronic form, which widens exposure to your work. Most articles published in WARC’s Journals are available through our online database WARC.com. Articles published in academic journals may also be available through the journal’s website and online databases such as EbscoHost.

What do I receive once the article is published?

Shortly after publication of your article you will receive:

• Two copies for each named author of the issue in which your article appears. (Some Journals might provide more copies than this.)
• A pdf of your article which – subject to the conditions included in the Copyright Assignment Agreement – you can:

(i) Circulate to up to 25 colleagues by email

(ii) Post on your organisation’s website for up to one month from the date that we send you the pdf.

• Distribution via WARC.com. In the case of academic journals your article may also be distributed via online databases such as EbscoHost.

Because many authors now prefer to distribute pdfs, we no longer provide hard-copy offprints or reprints as a matter of course, but these can be supplied for a small charge.

What if I want to post the pdf on my website for more than one month?

After the first month, we ask for a nominal licence fee of £20 per month plus VAT. Please tell the journal’s Production Editor the number of months you wish to post the article and the URL of the website. We will then invoice you or your company. We must charge a fee because freely available articles might undermine subscriptions to the journal.

What if I want to post the original version of my article on my website?

You are free to publish the original submitted version of your article on your website (or your organisation’s website), provided that the article is clearly labelled 'Unedited Version' and is accompanied by a reference to the issue of the Journal in which the final version appears, a description of the journal and a hyperlink to the journal’s website. The reason for the label 'Unedited Version' is simply to make a clear distinction between the original unedited manuscript and the definitive final version of the paper, which will often incorporate revisions suggested by the Journal’s editor and/or reviewers. Permission must be sought if you wish to publish the Unedited Version on other websites.

If your article has been accepted but not yet published please describe it as 'in press' or 'forthcoming' until the publication date is known.

Authors should never state that an article has been 'submitted to', as this implies endorsement by the Journal before a decision to publish has been made.

What if I need more copies of the issue containing my article?

Additional copies are available to authors at the rate of £5/$8/ €8 provided that we receive your request before the publication goes to press.

How can I order reprints of my article?

Please ask the Production Editor for details. The price varies according to the print run, number of pages and colour content.

Does assigning copyright mean that I won’t be credited as the author?

No. You retain what are known as ‘moral rights’ in the article, including the right to be credited as the author whenever and wherever the article is published, under the terms of the UK Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Will assigning copyright prevent me from publishing my own work?

Signing the agreement does not restrict your rights (or your employer’s rights) to revise, adapt, prepare derivative articles or make oral presentations of the contents of the article.

You retain the right to reproduce your article in any book of which you act as editor or author, subject to acknowledgement and citation of the Journal. As a courtesy, we request that you advise us of such reproduction.

What if my article includes previously published material?

We require that you obtain the necessary written permission in advance from any third party owners of copyright for the use in print and electronic formats of any of their text, illustrations, graphics, or other material, in your article and in our Journal. Please send evidence of this with the Copyright Assignment Form.

What if I do not own copyright of the article I have written?

If the copyright is held by your employer then your employer must add its signature to the Copyright Transfer Form. If the article is the copyright of the British (Crown) or US Government then you should obtain the correct licence prior to publication.

What if I am not sole author?

If at all practical, all co-authors should sign the Agreement. If not, we require you secure the permission of your co-authors to act on their behalf, and sign the Agreement.

What happens if WARC does not publish the article?

If the paper is not published by WARC, all rights revert to the author as original copyright holder.

August 2004