Publishing and copyright
It is common for authors to transfer copyright ownership in their publications to the publisher as part of the publishing agreement. While you may retain certain usage rights within this agreement, these will be much more limited that if you retain the copyright yourself.
The rights you retain can vary, based on:
- the publisher (and even the journal or proceedings)
- whether there is open-licensing involved
- what you plan to do with, and where you plan to use, the publication.
You should always read your publishing agreement and double-check what you are allowed to do with your publication once copyright is transferred. Have a question? Contact the Copyright Advisor
Want to retain more rights? It may be worth checking out the SPARC Author Addendum, which can allow authors to adjust their publishing agreements.
The webinar video below covers what you should know about your rights for research and publishing. You can watch similar videos in our Copyright, licensing and open access for research playlist.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.