Do I need a licence?
A CLA licence provides peace of mind by reducing the risk of copyright infringement when photocopying or scanning extracts and articles from print and digital publications.
The publications that the licences cover include books, most trade and consumer magazines, law reports and journals and digital and online publications published in the UK and in most major territories overseas.
Licences are available to all organisations including businesses, charities, government departments, public bodies, educational and professional institutions.
Changes in the law mean that any copying, even for research or private study, will require clearance from the copyright owners if it is carried out for commercial purposes.
Therefore, even limited copying of this sort by charities or other not-for-profit organisations will require a licence.
Similarly most copying by businesses will require a licence even if carried out for research purposes.
Some examples of the types of activity for which you will need a CLA licence are listed below.
- ad hoc or regular photocopying from published magazines, books or journals
- copying of materials for regulatory submissions or product information
- scanning extracts or articles from published books, reports or journals
- making copies or distributing by e-mail of any press cuttings
- copying from an online trade publication such as a magazine or newsletter
- reuse of parts of a born digital title published on CD-Rom or PDF document
- supplying copies of documents to third parties such as clients or members
- storage of articles, extracts or press cuttings on a company intranet
If any of the above are applicable to your organisation then it is highly likely that you will need a CLA licence. Apply now
If you are not sure what level of copying is carried out in your organisation then it is strongly recommended that you check to make sure that your organisation is not breaking the law.
We can help you to undertake a simple audit to determine your licensing requirements - for a free copyright audit form call our helpline 0800 085 6644 or e-mail licence@cla.co.uk
