Question

Imagine that you are being paid to present training session for the middle management in a prestigious accounting organization. You want to assess the communication styles of your trained and have found a useful evaluation instrument that does this nicely. Should you only cite the source of the instrument in the training booklet or should you obtain author permission to use this instrument in your training? Discuss the steps needed for each approach.

Answer 1

If you want to use instruments created by other people , you are required to locate and follow usage permissions.  The instrument may be protected by copyright and/or licensing restrictions.

Steps needed to be followed :

1) Determine whether you need permission :

a) no permission required : The copyright holder has explicitly licensed the use of instrument for any purpose, without requiring you to obtain permission.

b) Non commercial / educational use : The copyright holder has licensed the instrument only for non-commercial research or educational purposes, without requiring you to obtain the permission of the copyright holder. Any other usage requires permission.

c) Permission required : Instruments that require you to obtain the permission of the copyright holder, regardless of whether the use is for educational or commercial purposes. If you cannot locate the permissions, you are required to identify the copyright holder and contact them to ask about permission to use the instrument.

2) Identify the copyright holder and secure the permission : The next step is to identify who owns the copyright. If the copyright owner is an individual, you will need to do the usual Internet and telephone searches to find the person. Be ready to introduce yourself and to explain carefully what you are seeking. specify your use , provide detials and secure the permission from the copyright holder.

3) keep a record : After securing permission to use and/or reproduce the instrument, save a copy of the correspondence and the agreement. Documentation allows you to demonstrate to others that you have the legal right to use the owner's work.