Copyright and Permission

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Copyright Policy

As part of its mission to collect, preserve, and share the story of the American Presbyterian and Reformed experience, the Presbyterian Historical Society provides access to items from its collection via its website, digital repository (Pearl), social media, and reproduction services. With a few exceptions, the society does not own copyright to its collection materials and provides access under the Fair Use (17 U.S. Code § 107) exception of U.S. Copyright law (U.S. Code, Title 17) for purposes of "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research." Reproduction and publication of materials protected by copyright for purposes beyond that allowed by fair use require the written permission of the copyright holder. Responsibility for assessing copyright status and for securing any necessary permission rests exclusively with the user.

U.S. Copyright law protects creators’ rights to control the use of their works for a limited period of time. Creators have exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, and display their works, and to create derivative works. In addition to copyright protections, some materials may be subject to restrictions because of privacy and publicity rights, trademark, purchase agreement, or donor stipulation. Foreign-made works may be subject to foreign copyright laws.

Requesting Permission

The society does not charge licensing or permission fees for publication of items in its collections. In many cases, the society only owns the physical objects in its collection, and copyright has been retained by the creator(s) of the material. Permission must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Whenever possible, the society will provide factual information about potential copyright holders. However, ultimate responsibility for assessing copyright status and for securing any necessary permission rests exclusively with the user. Please see Evaluating Copyright for more information.

The society can grant copyright permission on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the National Council of Churches when these organizations are the sole copyright holder.

The society does not grant or deny permission to use works in its collections that are in the public domain.

For questions about copyright status and copyright permission, contact: refdesk@history.pcusa.org or call (215) 627-1852.

For information about ordering reproductions and requesting digitization see the Reproductions page.

Takedown Policy

The Presbyterian Historical Society makes every effort to conform with copyright, privacy, confidentiality, and donor restrictions before content is disseminated. If you claim copyright and believe that the society's use of materials constitutes an infringement or a violation of privacy, you may submit a takedown request.

A takedown request may be initiated by:

1. The individual or organization who is the copyright holder.
2. The individual or organization who is the subject of the record containing personal or confidential information.
3. A legally authorized agent representing the copyright holder or record subject.

To submit a takedown request, please fill out the Takedown Request Form. You can also download a PDF version and email the form to refdesk@history.pcusa.org or mail it to:

Rights and Reproductions
Presbyterian Historical Society
425 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Upon receiving a request, the society will begin an investigation into the claim. A resolution will be communicated in writing. If an infringement or privacy violation is determined to have occurred, the item(s) in question will be taken down until the applicable intellectual property rights have expired.

Citations: Crediting the Presbyterian Historical Society

Please cite the Presbyterian Historical Society as the source of the material you share or publish as follows:

Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA

For images used on websites or blogs, please include a hyperlink back to the origin of the image on the society's website.

Bibliographic citations for archival collections:

Prentice Family Papers, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Department of Work in Alaska Records, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA.

Footnote/endnote citations for archival sources:

Personal papers:

J. Prentice letter to John Jones, 19 September 1948, Prentice Family Papers, RG 191, box 1, folder 6, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA.

Official records:

Petersburg General Hospital, Dedication Program, 1955, Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Dept. of Work in Alaska Records, 1874-1972, RG 301.3, box 6, folder 23, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA.

Congregation records:

German Presbyterian Church (Philadelphia, PA) session register, 1945-1949, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA.

NCC records:

Darrell Randall letter to Norman Cousins, 14 July 1961, National Council of Churches, Division of Christian Life and Mission Records, 1945-1973, NCC RG 6, box 23, folder 7, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA.