Copyrights
What does "copyright" mean?
Our nation's founding fathers determined that it was in the public interest that the creative works of a person's mind and spirit should belong, for a limited time, to the creator. The protection of these works is called "copyright". The United States Copyright Law grants to any copyright owner the exclusive rights to original material for a term, which is equal to the length of the life of the author/creator plus 70 years. For works written prior to 1978, the term is 95 years from the date the work was first published. The privilege of reproducing the work belongs to the copyright owner.
Copyright is the legal device that provides the creator of a work the right to control how the work is used. (or person / entity to whom the creator has transferred all or part of her rights) A copyright is a type of property. Like other forms of property, a copyright may be sold by its owner, or otherwise exploited for his economic benefit.
How do I know if the material I want to use has been copyrighted?
Copyright protection exists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in a work immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Most of the time the work will have the registered copyright symbol © printed on it, but every work is protected by copyright regardless of whether the symbol is printed on the work or not. Only the author/creator or those deriving their rights through the author/creator can rightfully claim copyright. If any other party wants to reproduce the material in some manner, permission must be obtained.
Who owns the legal right to make copies?
The original creators (authors and composers) and/or publishers, assigned agents, etc.
Do other countries have copyright laws?
Yes. Most of the world recognizes the need to give incentive and protection to creative persons. Copyrighted material owned by U.S. citizens is protected in many other countries by each country's copyright laws and treaties with the United States.
Permission Guidelines
When do I need to submit a request for permission to use excerpts or portions of material published by The Foundry Publishing or its imprints (Nazarene Publishing House, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, WordAction Publishing Company, Barefoot Ministries, The House Studio)?
Any time you are quoting more than 250 words from any publication from The Foundry Publishing or its imprints (Nazarene Publishing House, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, WordAction Publishing Company, Barefoot Ministries, The House Studio), written permission is required. You must also submit written request for stand-alone materials such as sermons, maps or artwork, charts, graphs, cartoons or drawings, poems etc., regardless of the word count. Written requests may be submitted as follows or fill out the online permission request form.
Mailing Address:
The Foundry Publishing
Attn: Rights and Permissions
PO Box 419527
Kansas City, MO 64141
FAX: 816-531-0923
E-mail: permissions@thefoundrypublishing.com
If you have a non-commercial use of 250 words or less, as in church, personal or individual use, the following copyright notice must appear on all reprints:
"Taken from [Name of Book] by [Author]. Copyright [Date] by [Copyright Holder]. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved."
If you are uncertain regarding the need to submit written request for permissions, please contact us.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: The Foundry Publishing cannot give permission to use material that we do not own. To quote any footnoted material or material used by permission from a third party; you will need to contact the original publisher. This information is usually found within the text or in the acknowledgement section.
How do I know if the material I want to use is in the public domain?
If the material you want to use was printed in the United States and the copyright date printed on the material is 1922 or earlier, copyright law provides that formal permission is not needed since the copyright has expired. We do recommend that to avoid accusations of plagiarism, the source should be correctly cited. You need to include the title, author, copyright date, and publisher.
If the copyright date is 1923 or newer, please send a permission request and The Foundry Publishing will notify you if the material has entered the public domain.
How do I submit a copyright permission request? Is there more than one option?
You have several options for submitting requests:
- To submit an online request form: Click here, then follow the instructions.
- To submit a request by fax or mail: Click here, print the form, fill it out, and submit it by fax or mail using the contact information below.
Mailing Address:
The Foundry Publishing
Attn: Rights and Permissions
PO Box 419527
Kansas City, MO 64141
FAX: 816-531-0923
E-mail: permissions@thefoundrypublishing.com
What if I want to reprint or copy material that is out of print from The Foundry Publishing or its imprints (Nazarene Publishing House, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, WordAction Publishing Company, Barefoot Ministries, The House Studio)?
If a product is no longer available, written permission is required to reprint or reproduce any entire work. Since copyright is often returned to the author/creator, you must submit a written request for any out of print materials. Please submit your request to our Rights and Permissions office or fill out the online permission request form.
Mailing Address:
The Foundry Publishing
Attn: Rights and Permissions
PO Box 419527
Kansas City, MO 64141
FAX: 816-531-0923
E-mail: permissions@thefoundrypublishing.com
Can I call The Foundry Publishing to request permission?
No. We must receive all requests in writing. The Foundry Publishing will respond to the permission in writing as well. If time is critical, we recommend that you submit the request via e-mail or fill out the online permission request form. We will do our best to respond as promptly as possible.
Mailing Address:
The Foundry Publishing
Attn: Rights and Permissions
PO Box 419527
Kansas City, MO 64141
FAX: 816-531-0923
E-mail: permissions@thefoundrypublishing.com
Can I make copies to share with my Sunday School class, Bible study or other church-related group, of materials from The Foundry Publishing or its imprints (Nazarene Publishing House, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, WordAction Publishing Company, Barefoot Ministries, The House Studio)?
If the section you are reproducing is less than 250 words and not more than 1 page you may use the material as long as the following copyright notice is placed on all copies.
"Taken from [Name of Book] by [Author]. Copyright [Date] by [Copyright Holder]. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved."
For any other use please submit written request to our Rights and Permissions office or fill out the online permission request form.
Mailing Address:
The Foundry Publishing
Attn: Rights and Permissions
PO Box 419527
Kansas City, MO 64141
FAX: 816-531-0923
E-mail: permissions@thefoundrypublishing.com
If I have extra students and don't have enough books to go around, can I photocopy the materials for those students?
You must contact us. These requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
How do I inquire about translating and publishing content from The Foundry Publishing or its imprints (Nazarene Publishing House, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, WordAction Publishing Company, Barefoot Ministries, The House Studio)?
You may submit written request to our Rights and Permissions office as follows or fill out the online permission request form.
Mailing Address:
The Foundry Publishing
Attn: Rights and Permissions
PO Box 419527
Kansas City, MO 64141
FAX: 816-531-0923
E-mail: permissions@thefoundrypublishing.com
Can I make a copy of part of a book to give away?
You may copy a single page from any book unless the copyright page specifies something different. More than a single page will require permission from the publisher.
How do I inquire about permissions for music published by Lillenas Publishing Company?
Permission requests for the use of Lillenas copyrighted songs are handled by Music Services, located in Brentwood, Tennessee.
You may use their online forms to request permission to reproduce, record or publish Lillenas songs and use Lillenas sound recordings. Your request will be submitted directly to Music Services. (Please check to make sure the song you are requesting is owned by Lillenas. We do not own all the songs in our publications.) For information regarding the use of Lillenas drama, scripts, sketches, etc., please contact us here.
How can I tell if a song is owned by Lillenas?
Look at the copyright notice printed on the song, generally at the bottom of the first page. Lillenas copyright catalogs include Lillenas Publishing Company, Pilot Point Music, PsalmSinger Music, Mosie Lister Songs, J.M.Henson Music, Beacon Hill Music, Nazarene Publishing House, Consuming Worship Songs, Consuming Praise Songs, Consuming Fervor Songs, Southern Faith Songs and Highland Music Publishing. If one of these is listed as the copyright owner of a song, then Lillenas owns the song, and you may request permission for use of the song from Music Services.
How do I inquire about permissions for Lillenas drama scripts and sketches?
For permission information for Lillenas’ drama products, please contact us here.