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Copyright FAQs

Many of the answers in this FAQ refer to “occasional” use. What does “occasional” mean? May I copy, e-mail, or fax an entire BNA publication? May I print out or e-mail a BNA article that I found on Westlaw or Lexis? May I make copies of the “Highlights” and/or “In This Issue/Table of Contents” contained in my print BNA publication and then give those copies to my firm’s attorneys? May another office location of our firm copy the front page of a BNA publication and either fax or send an interoffice copy to me for routing among our attorneys? May I forward a BNA e-mail to an employee that does not have current access? May a registered user of a BNA electronic publication forward an article or e-mail to his/her practice group? What can I do with E-Mail Highlights? We keep our print Daily Report for Executives in the library and route the Table of Contents. May employees regularly come to the library and make copies of pertinent articles? May I (or a designated individual, e.g., paralegal, librarian, assistant) review my BNA publication and select and copy articles to share with my staff? Our office has a 2-user license (same location) to an electronic BNA publication. We only have one user in our office, but someone in another office location would like to occasionally access the report. May we give our password to that employee? May I e-mail a BNA article to a client or to someone in another office? May I make a print copy of a BNA article for selected clients or someone in another office? Our organization (or an employee) was mentioned in a BNA article. May we make copies for our clients or put the article on our internet/intranet? One of our employees authored a BNA article. May we make copies for our clients or put the article on our internet/intranet? May I share my password with another employee who is an occasional user? May I make copies of BNA articles for my files? When do I need to get permission to reprint a BNA article? Am I covered if I simply give credit to BNA? May I summarize a BNA article and then send it to my firm’s attorneys, post it on a web site, or include it in a client newsletter, as long as I credit BNA? May we put a copy of a BNA articles on a client’s extranets, in a client’s e-room, in client newsletters, or in other materials prepared for our clients? Do we need to get permission to quote a sentence or two from a BNA publication? If I want to copy or use BNA articles in other ways, what should I do?

Q: Many of the answers in this FAQ refer to “occasional” use. What does “occasional” mean?

A: BNA defines “occasional” copying or distribution as a maximum – per person and on an annual basis -- of five (5) articles per publication. For electronic distribution and copying, this applies only to authorized end users. In all cases, distribution is limited to internal use and selected clients. For example, an attorney wants to e-mail an article from BNA’s Daily Report for Executives. He may e-mail the article to several of his colleagues, and may also do this with a maximum of five articles from that publication during a 12-month period.

Q: May I copy, e-mail, or fax an entire BNA publication?

A: No, you may never make copies or transmit the entire contents of a BNA publication or service, regardless of whether it is in print or electronic form and even if it is on a one-time basis.

Q: May I print out or e-mail a BNA article that I found on Westlaw or Lexis?

A: Yes, provided you give or e-mail that article to only one person, and you do not keep a copy for yourself. In all cases, the distribution should be limited to internal use. Example: A librarian does research for an employee and then e-mails (or prints out and gives) the article to that employee, but does not keep a copy. This is permitted.

Q: May I make copies of the “Highlights” and/or “In This Issue/Table of Contents” contained in my print BNA publication and then give those copies to my firm’s attorneys?

A: No. These sections of our publications, along with other finding aids, are covered by copyright, and are not to be copied and redistributed within an organization. Additional print copies of the publication are available by subscription at bulk print rates, and additional electronic seats to the electronic publications are available through licenses.

The only exception is if your organization has a license agreement with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), or pays the appropriate per page fees to CCC. Even under this exception, copying and distribution is limited to internal distribution only.

Q: May another office location of our firm copy the front page of a BNA publication and either fax or send an interoffice copy to me for routing among our attorneys?

A: No. These sections of our publications, along with other finding aids, are covered by copyright, and are not to be copied and redistributed within an organization. Additional print copies of the publication are available by subscription at bulk print rates, and additional electronic seats to the electronic publications are available through licenses.

The only exception is if your organization has a license agreement with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), or pays the appropriate per page fees to CCC. Even under this exception, copying and distribution is limited to internal distribution only.

Q: May I forward a BNA e-mail to an employee that does not have current access?

A: Yes, but only on an occasional basis.

Q: May a registered user of a BNA electronic publication forward an article or e-mail to his/her practice group?

A: Yes, but only on an occasional basis.

Q: What can I do with E-Mail Highlights?

A: These e-mails contain the highlights and table of contents of a BNA publication and are licensed based on a specified number of authorized users (employees). Access by or distribution to people other than the authorized users is not allowed. The information cannot be e-mailed to other people, put up on a web site, or printed out, copied and distributed to others, except on an occasional basis.

Q: We keep our print Daily Report for Executives in the library and route the Table of Contents. May employees regularly come to the library and make copies of pertinent articles?

A: No. You may not set up a regular and systematic distribution system. This includes the practice of regularly identifying articles on a particular issue or topic, and then copying or e-mailing those articles. Employees may copy an article on an occasional basis.

Q: May I (or a designated individual, e.g., paralegal, librarian, assistant) review my BNA publication and select and copy articles to share with my staff?

A: No. You may not set up a regular and systematic distribution system. This includes the practice of regularly identifying articles on a particular issue or topic, and then copying or e-mailing those articles.

Q: Our office has a 2-user license (same location) to an electronic BNA publication. We only have one user in our office, but someone in another office location would like to occasionally access the report. May we give our password to that employee?

A: No. You may not share the password with another office, even on an occasional basis.

Q: May I e-mail a BNA article to a client or to someone in another office?

A: Yes, on an occasional basis and with proper attribution to BNA.

Q: May I make a print copy of a BNA article for selected clients or someone in another office?

A: Yes, on an occasional basis and with proper attribution to BNA.

Q: Our organization (or an employee) was mentioned in a BNA article. May we make copies for our clients or put the article on our internet/intranet?

A: No. You will need to request specific permission by contacting permissions@bna.com. In your request, be sure to include the following information: (1) your name, company, mailing address, e-mail and telephone number; (2) name of the BNA publication, issue date, page number(s) and headline; (3) reason for request; and (4) the approximate number of copies to be made or URL address (if posting to a website).

Q: One of our employees authored a BNA article. May we make copies for our clients or put the article on our internet/intranet?

A: No. Because BNA holds the copyright to the article, you will need to request specific permission by contacting permissions@bna.com. In your request, be sure to include the following information: (1) your name, company, mailing address, e-mail and telephone number; (2) name of the BNA publication, issue date, page number(s) and headline; (3) reason for request; and (4) the approximate number of copies to be made or URL address (if posting to a website).

Q: May I share my password with another employee who is an occasional user?

A: No. Passwords are for individual authorized use only and cannot be given to another employee or anyone else, even on an occasional basis.

Q: May I make copies of BNA articles for my files?

A: Yes, but only on an occasional basis.

Q: When do I need to get permission to reprint a BNA article? Am I covered if I simply give credit to BNA?

A: Unless a particular use is allowed under the copyright laws or these policies, you will need to request specific permission by contacting permissions@bna.com. In your request, be sure to include the following information: (1) your name, company, mailing address, e-mail and telephone number; (2) name of the BNA publication, issue date, page number(s) and headline; (3) reason for request; and (4) the approximate number of copies to be made or URL address (if posting to a website).

Q: May I summarize a BNA article and then send it to my firm’s attorneys, post it on a web site, or include it in a client newsletter, as long as I credit BNA?

A: No. In summarizing the BNA article, you would be making a derivative work of copyrighted material, which is not permitted. Permission to post a BNA article or other BNA material (in its original form) may be obtained by contacting permissions@bna.com. In your request, be sure to include the following information: (1) your name, company, mailing address, e-mail and telephone number; (2) name of the BNA publication, issue date, page number(s) and headline; (3) reason for request; and (4) the approximate number of copies to be made or URL address (if posting to a website).

Q: May we put a copy of a BNA articles on a client’s extranets, in a client’s e-room, in client newsletters, or in other materials prepared for our clients?

A: No. You must obtain permission by contacting permissions@bna.com. In your request, be sure to include the following information: (1) your name, company, mailing address, e-mail and telephone number; (2) name of the BNA publication, issue date, page number(s) and headline; (3) reason for request; and (4) the approximate number of copies to be made or URL address (if posting to a website).

Q: Do we need to get permission to quote a sentence or two from a BNA publication?

A: No. Permission is not needed for occasionally quoting a small portion of content from a BNA publication. Examples are a few sentences or a paragraph. However, in keeping with good citation practice, you should always give proper attribution to the BNA publication (i.e., full publication title, full article title, date and page number).

Q: If I want to copy or use BNA articles in other ways, what should I do?

A: BNA offers customer license arrangements to accommodate customers’ individual information needs. Please contact your BNA Law Firm Consultant or Account Executive for more information.

As of August 1, 2005