Avoid Infringement upon IEEE Copyright

Learn when and how to get permission to reuse IEEE material to avoid infringement upon IEEE Copyright.

As a general rule, you will need to request permission to reproduce content published by IEEE. This may include any text, graphics, tables, or other material from an IEEE publication.

Permission can be requested and approved online in minutes through IEEE’s partnership with RightsLink®, the automated permission granting service from the Copyright Clearance Center. Click the copyright symbol in the icon menu of the article’s Abstract page in IEEE Xplore® Digital Library to submit your permission request via RightsLink.

The answers to some frequent permissions questions are included below. Further questions may be directed to pubs-permissions@ieee.org.

Can I Reuse Material From a Previous Article I Published With IEEE?

Although authors are permitted to reuse all or portions of the work in other works, this does not include granting third party requests for reprinting, republishing, or other types of reuse. Permission is required.

Can I Reuse My Published Article in My Thesis?

You may reuse your published article in your thesis or dissertation without requesting permission, provided that you fulfill the following requirements depending on which aspects of the article you wish to reuse.

When posting your thesis on your university website, include the following message:

“In reference to IEEE copyrighted material which is used with permission in this thesis, the IEEE does not endorse any of [name of university or educational entity]’s products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. If interested in reprinting/republishing IEEE copyrighted material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution, please go to http://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/rights/rights_link.html to learn how to obtain a License from RightsLink. If applicable, University Microfilms and/or ProQuest Library, or the Archives of Canada may supply single copies of the dissertation.”

Only the accepted version of your article, not the final published version, may be posted online in your thesis.

Do I Need Permission to Republish in Another Language?

Yes, you will need to request a license that includes translation rights. Use the RightsLink procedure outlined above to submit the request. The license you receive from RightsLink will include guidelines and a disclaimer to be displayed on the translated article.

Do I Need Permission to Reuse IEEE Material in Another IEEE Publication?

You may reuse small portions of text (up to several paragraphs) and graphics from one IEEE publication in another, provided that you provide full citation to the original article. Contact pubs-permissions@ieee.org if you wish to reuse larger portions.

What is the IEEE Policy on Recycling Text?

Recycling of material in a new document happens when the material in the new document is identical, or substantively equivalent in both form and content, to that of the source. At times, it may be necessary for authors to recycle portions of their own previously published work or to include another author’s material.

When an author recycles text, charts, photographs, or other graphics from his/her own previously published material, the author shall:

  1. Adhere to all copyright policies, clearly indicate all recycled material and provide a full reference to the original publication of the material (see also IEEE PSPB Operations Manual, Subsection 8.2.4.G).
  2. If the previously published or submitted material is used as a basis for a new submission, clearly indicate how the new submission differs from the previously published work(s).

Where Can I Post My Published Article?

See our policy on posting your article for detailed information.