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Author Copyright Assignment

Transferring Copyright to AIAA
U.S. copyright law gives the copyright of a work to the person who wrote it. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics prefers to hold the copyright of any work it publishes with the clear understanding that the author and the author’s organization or employer have the right to reproduce or adapt the work for their own purposes, provided that reproductions are not for sale. By owning the copyright, AIAA as a publisher is better able to maintain and protect the work and defend against improper use. AIAA does not claim any patent, trademark, or proprietary rights other than copyright.
Granting AIAA a License to Publish
Although AIAA prefers to own copyright, there are circumstances where an author or an employer wishes to retain copyright of the work. In such cases, AIAA requires a license that grants AIAA permission to publish the work and to use it for all of AIAA’s current and future print and electronic uses. The grant of subsequent permission for others to reuse portions or to republish this work is the responsibility of the copyright holder.
U.S. Government Authors and Contractors

U.S. government employees and some government contractors should be aware that a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. government as part of that person’s official duties is not subject to copyright protection in the United States, under U.S. copyright law. AIAA provides the option for government authors to declare their submissions to be works of the U.S. government. The following conditions will apply:

  • U.S. government employees may not accept royalty payments or other compensation resulting from publication of their work.
  • Publication with AIAA does not suggest or imply endorsement of any product or service by the U.S. government or any particular agency.
  • The U.S. government retains patent and trademark rights, and the rights to processes and procedures described in the work, and the U.S. government can exercise copyright on government works outside the United States.
  • The government agency employing the author(s) is not liable to the publisher for any failure to act on the part of the author(s) in connection with producing the work.

Keep in mind that copyright protection is available for a work of a government employee or contractor that is done apart from his or her official duties, and the copyright shall reside with the individual (subject to any transfer made by the individual). When a work of a government employee does not fall within the purview of his or her official duties, the employee’s use of governmental time, material, or facilities will not, in and of itself, make the work a government work.

Authors Employed by Foreign Governments
In the case of works created by authors employed by foreign (non–U.S.) governments, these works frequently remain subject to foreign government or crown-owned copyright. AIAA will require a non-exclusive license to publish the work and use it for all current and future print and electronic uses.
Choosing Copyright Options for Publication by AIAA
Options for copyright transfer or licensing of content are made available to authors of AIAA conference papers, journal articles, and contributed book chapters during the manuscript submission process. All authors and/or authorized individuals must assert that the manuscript is cleared for release, if required; acknowledge the originality and publication status of the work; and grant copyright or a license for AIAA’s use of the material.

An explanation of the submission requirements and copyright options available to authors can be found here.

AIAA cannot advise authors on whether their work is within or outside the scope of their official duties, nor can AIAA advise coauthors with different employers how to determine copyright ownership and appropriate transfer or license.

Reuse Licenses and Permission Requests

Author Reuse Rights and Posting Policy
Transfer of copyright to AIAA does not prevent authors from reproducing or adapting their work, in whole or in part, for their own private use, including for educational purposes, provided the material is not systematically reproduced or distributed and is not for sale.

Examples of permitted uses retained by authors or their employers include incorporating material into lectures and in-house training materials and presentations, and posting accepted manuscripts of conference papers and journal articles on a personal website or in an institutional or government archive. Refer to AIAA’s Self-Archiving and Posting Policy, which addresses posting the accepted manuscript version on private websites and in institutional archives; for additional details on sharing your work before and after publication, also go to How Can I Share My Research? Links to the version of record (VOR) in AIAA’s electronic library, Aerospace Research Central (ARC), should be maintained, as appropriate.

In most cases when AIAA is the copyright holder of a work, authors will be automatically granted permission by AIAA to reprint their own material in subsequent works, to include figures, tables, and verbatim portions of text, upon request. Explicit permission should be sought from AIAA through Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), as described below; all reprinted material must be acknowledged and the original source cited in full.

All versions of a publication are subject to the copyright terms and conditions executed between AIAA and the authors. AIAA has no copyright claim on material in the public domain or owned by individuals, institutions, or foreign governments.
Comprehensive End-User License
All versions of AIAA content are subject to this end-user license, to include accepted manuscript versions and other open access publications. Click here for more information.
Funding Agency Mandates and Open Access
Authors whose works are the result of research performed under a grant from a government funding agency are free to exercise all rights pertaining to public access as specified by the contract and to fulfill author deposit mandates from that funding agency provided that the mandate allows for a minimum 12-month embargo, starting from the official date of publication by AIAA, and so long as the accepted manuscript version, and not the AIAA published VOR is used for this purpose. Reproductions in whole or in part shall include a full citation in reference to the AIAA publication and notice of copyright.

As a member of CHORUS, AIAA also will make available the accepted manuscript versions of journal articles that are subject to U.S. federal funding agency public access mandates, following the 12-month embargo period. These Open Access versions will be available through Aerospace Research Central (ARC).

Sharing and reusing material from AIAA Open Access publications is subject to the terms of copyright.
Data Mining of Text
Text data mining of AIAA content available in Aerospace Research Central (ARC) requires a bilateral agreement with AIAA. Terms of use for all content remain subject to copyright.
How to Request Permission to Reprint from AIAA

If you wish to reuse your own or someone else’s material previously published by AIAA, in print or electronically, first determine whether or not AIAA is the copyright owner of the publication. Please review the copyright statement for the source material before submitting a reprint permission request: 

  • For AIAA conference papers, journal articles, or individual chapters in multi-authored books, look at the bottom of the first full-text page (not the cover page). There will be a footnote indicating who holds copyright.
  • For single-author books, look at the copyright statement on the back of the title page.
  • AIAA owns the copyright on all articles published in Aerospace America.

If the statement reads “Copyright © by “the author …” or by “a university or other corporate entity … ,” then AIAA does not hold copyright, and you must seek permission to reprint from the copyright owner.

In the case of a U.S. government–sponsored work, where the work is “not subject to copyright protection in the United States,” then the material is in the public domain and can be reused without permission within the United States so long as the original source is acknowledged and fully cited.

The Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) processes permission requests on behalf of AIAA. If AIAA is the copyright owner, you may submit your request by visiting  www.copyright.com.

When requesting to reuse material from AIAA conference papers, journal or magazine articles, or book chapters, be sure to search for the conference proceedings title (e.g., Plasmadynamics and Lasers Conference), the journal title (e.g., Journal of Aircraft) or book title, not the article/chapter title. If you are unable to find the appropriate publication, place a Special Order with CCC to work on your behalf to obtain permission.

Depending on who is making the request and the intended use, a modest reprinting fee may apply. Upon approval by AIAA to reprint, the author should acknowledge that AIAA has granted permission for reuse, and the original source should be fully cited in the author’s reference list.

Any additional questions can be directed to Katrina Buckley at katb@aiaa.org.   

 
(Copyright Clearance Center)