Vassar College Guide to Copyright

Asking for Permission

Requests to Use Audiovisual Materials

Return to Main Permissions Page
Return to Sample Forms Menu

Information to Include

• Return address
• Phone and fax numbers
• Date of request
• Name and address of recipient
• Identification information for the material

For a film:

• name of the director
• title of the work
• year of release
• studio/production company

For a television program/news clip:

• name of the program; title of the episode if applicable
• production company
• date of airing

For the use of a dramatic work:

• name of the piece
• name of the playwright
• Description of your intended use
• Method of transmission 

(via website, presentation, etc.)
• Will the material be reproduced in any way?  How?

(dubbing, transferral via disk, etc.)
• If applicable, how many copies do you plan to make?
• How much of the film, television program, etc. will be used?
• Are you planning to perform the play? Will the performance be recorded?
• The distribution/availability of your project

(campus-wide, world-wide)
• Is it a website that will be limited to the college community or protected by a password?
• Is it a performance that will be attended only by students and professors?
• The duration of your project or use
• How long, for example, will your website be up?
• 1 semester, 1 year, indefinitely? 
• Will you present the material only once or repeatedly?
• Include starting date. 
• The nature of your use 

(personal, educational, commercial)
• Are you charging any money at all, for profit or otherwise?  Make this very clear.
• Course name and number, if relevant
• A request for written permission (see below)
• Name of faculty member/contact
• Position
• Department
• Name of institution

You may want to include a form at the bottom of your letter for your correspondent to complete and send back.  For example:

The end of a letter addressed directly to a studio or production company:

Permission granted to use (name of the material in question) in the manner described above.
Signature ______________________________  on the behalf of (name of company) Date _______
Name(s) (printed) ________________________
Signature confirms that the company indicated above owns the copyright of the material in question.

The end of a letter addressed to the Writers' Guild or Directors' Guild:

Permission granted to use (name of the material in question) in the manner described above.
Signature ______________________ on the behalf of (the Writers' Guild/Directors' Guild) Date _______

The end of a letter addressed to the owner of the rights to a dramatic work:

Permission granted to use (name of the material in question) in the manner described above.
Signature ______________________  Date _______
Signature confirms that the individual indicated above owns the rights to the material in question.

The end of a letter addressed to a service that grants permission to use dramatic works:

Permission granted to use (name of the material in question) in the manner described above.
Signature ______________________ on behalf of (name of service/agency) Date _______
Signature confirms that the service/agency indicated above has been given proper authority to grant such permission by the owner of the rights to the material in question. 
 

Return to Main Permissions Page
Return to Sample Forms Menu

Return to Top

Vassar College 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604