Author Rights & Scholarly Publishing
Did you know that copyright is really a bundle of rights?
As an author of a work you have automatic copyright protection. However, when you publish your work you usually are asked to transfer some or all of the copyright to the publisher.
Instead, you might consider retaining some of the rights and transferring others by negotiating with your publisher.
Retaining at least some of your rights may offer you advantages & opportunities.
For example, you might want to transfer the rights of first publication to the publisher while retaining rights to:
Post the article to your website
Distribute copies of your article to colleagues, students, and others for non-commercial purposes
Archive copies in discipline and/or institutional repositories
Use your work in future works, new editions, follow-up studies
The Internet offers many new & evolving forms of digital publishing. Retention of at least some of the author rights can make it easier for you to participate in these new publishing ventures. That may lead to increased & global access to your work.
For more information:
U Libraries Copyright Information & Education
Author’s Right’s: Challenges and New Opportunities PowerPoint
TAKING BACK CONTROL: Managing Author's Rights & Intellectual Property