Copyright Assignment for Works Submitted

U.S. Copyright Law effective January 1, 1978, gives the copyright of a work to the person who wrote it. AIAA prefers to hold the copyright of any work it publishes with the clear understanding that the author and the author’s organization have the right to reproduce or adapt the work for their own purposes, provided that the reproductions are not for sale. AIAA does not claim any patent or proprietary rights other than copyright. See also AIAA’s Self-Archiving and Posting Policy, which addresses posting papers on private websites and in institutional repositories.

Options for copyright transfer or licensing of content are made available to authors during the submission process. 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 to publish the work and to use it for all of AIAA’s current and future print and electronic uses. The grant of permission for others to use this work is the responsibility of the copyright holder.

Government employees and some 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 under U.S. Copyright Law. AIAA provides the option for Government authors to declare their submissions to be works of the U.S. Government. However, keep in mind that copyright protection is available for a work of a Government employee that is done apart from his or her official duties, and the copyright shall reside in the employee (subject to any transfer made by the employee). 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.

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.