This is obtaining legal permission to use material copyrighted by someone else.
In The Chicago Manual of Style (sixteenth edition) figure 4.3 on page 195, you’ll find a letter requesting permission to reprint copyrighted material.
If you don’t have access to it, here’s the gist of it:
- Start with who you’re writing to and the date.
- Quote what you wish to reprint.
- Place author, publication, and date of your publication where the quoted material appears.
- State that you want nonexclusive world rights, including electronic rights, but only as part of your volume, in all languages, for all editions, and in all media.
- Since they’re the copyright holder of the material quoted, state that you request permission from them to place the material in your publication. Give your publication title.
- Inform them that, if they don’t contact you otherwise, you’ll use the usual scholarly form of acknowledgment that’ll include the publisher, author, title, etc.
- Inform them that you’d like to be notified if additional permission is needed from another source.
- Thank them.
- Apply your signature.
- State that the above request is hereby approved on the conditions specified, and on the understanding that full credit will be given to the source.
- Provide blank space for a date and an “Approved by:” signature.
- Research the source, the source institution, and in what form they’ll take the request (electronic or snail mail).
