Reproduction of copyrighted material without prior permission of the copyright owner is illegal and an issue of concern for the academic community.
- Unauthorized copying can violate the rights of the author and/or publisher of the copyrighted work
- Unauthorized copying is contrary to the academic mission of teaching respect for ideas and the intellectual property that expresses those ideas
When you send published and copyrighted materials to be reproduced, we recommend submitting written approval from the holder of the copyright.
Harvard Business Review Inquries
Northwestern departments and schools work directly with Harvard Business Review for Copyright Clearance needs. Harvard Business Review will then invoice the department accordingly.
Guidelines for Articles
To view guidelines for articles that need to be published, visit the Harvard Business Review's Guidelines for Contributors.
Acceptable Copies
The following copies are acceptable under copyright laws:
Single Copies for Faculty Members
A single copy may be made of any of the following, by, or for, a faculty member at their request, for scholarly research, teaching or preparing to teach a class:
- A chapter from a book
- An article from a periodical or newspaper
- A short story, short essay or short poem, whether or not from a collective source
- A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical or newspaper
Multiple Copies for Classroom Use
Multiple copies (not to exceed more than one copy per student) may be made for classroom use or discussion, provided that:
- The copying meets the tests of brevity and spontaneity for poems, prose, illustrations and "special" works as shown in Definitions
- The copying meets the cumulative effect test as shown in Definitions
- Each copy includes a notice of copyright
Prohibitions on Copyright
- Copying shall not be used to create, replace, or substitute for anthologies, compilations, or collective works. Such replacement or substitution may not occur, whether copies of various works or excerpts are accumulated or reproduced and used separately.
- There shall be no copying of, or from, works intended to be consumable in the course of study or of teaching. These include workbooks, exercises, standardized tests, test booklets and answer sheets and similar consumable materials.
In addition, copying shall not:
- Substitute for the purchase of books, publisher's reprints or periodicals
- Be directed by higher authority
- Be repeated, i.e., copying the same item by the same professor from term-to-term
Common Copyright Terms and Definitions
Cumulative Effect
The copying of the material is for only one course in the school in which the copies are given:
- No more than one short poem, article, story, essay, or two excerpts may be copied from the same author
- No more than three copies from the same collective work or periodical volume during one class term
- No more than nine instances of such multiple copying for one course during one class term
The limitations stated above shall not apply to current news periodicals and newspapers.
Illustration
One chart, graph, diagram, cartoon or picture per book or periodical issue.
Poem
A complete poem, if less than 250 words, and if printed on not more than two pages or less; an excerpt of less than 250 words from a larger poem.
Prose
A complete article, story, or essay of less than 2,500 words; or an excerpt from any prose work of less than 1,000 words or 10% of the total work, whichever is less, but, in any event, a minimum of 500 words (may be expanded to permit the completion of an unfinished prose paragraph).
"Special" Works
Certain works in poetry, prose, or in "poetic prose" (which often contributes language with illustration) are less than 2,500 words in their entirety. Such special works may not be reproduced in their entirety; however, an excerpt comprising less than two of the published pages, and containing less than 10% of the words found in the text, may be reproduced.
Spontaneity
The copying is at the instance and inspiration of the individual professor, and the inspiration and decision to use the work, and the moment of its use for maximum teaching effectiveness, are so close in time that it would be unreasonable to expect a timely reply to a request for permission.