Copyright Information

Different copyright conditions pertain to different texts published in the OCP. Be sure to read below about each category of text before you use data from the OCP.

Transcribed Text of Extant Manuscripts

The text (that is, the words as displayed, not the tagged XML document) of extant manuscripts is in the public domain. Anyone may make use of this data, but we ask as a courtesy that anyone who uses these texts in other applications or publications will inform the project directors of how the data is being employed.

Reconstructed Texts

Where a text has been reconstructed (through creation of an eclectic text, emendation of the existing text, or other creative scholarly activity) it is the understanding of the OCP project directors that such reconstruction is covered by copyright. In some cases such copyright has expired and the reconstructed text is now in the public domain. Such texts may be used in the same way as the text of extant manuscripts. The OCP editors do, however, make sure to identify the author of such reconstructed texts, even where not required by law, and we urge other users to extend the same consideration to the scholars whose work they employ.

Where the term of copyright on a reconstructed text has not yet run out, the text is published here under one of two conditions:

1. Extracts from reconstructed texts under copyright may appear in the critical apparatus of an OCP document. In these cases the editor of the OCP document is making reference to the views of the author of the reconstructed text. Such reference does not constitute a re-publication of the reconstructed text itself, and no permission is granted for further use of such extracts. In each case the author of the reconstruction to which reference is being made will be clearly identified.
2. A full reconstructed text under copyright may be published in running form as part of an OCP document. In such cases permission has been obtained from the copyright holder by the OCP project directors. In all such cases credit is given to the author of the reconstruction and the current copyright holder is clearly identified. The publication of such copyrighted texts as a part of an OCP document does not imply or confer any right for further use or re-publication by OCP users.

In each case every reasonable effort has been made by the document editor(s) and OCP project directors to determine whether or not a reconstructed text is covered by a current copyright.

Tagged XML Files of Public Domain Texts

The tagging of all texts, even those in the public domain, is covered by copyright. In each case, the copyright for tagging of an OCP text is held by the editor(s) of the text. As a condition of publication as part of the OCP, editors grant permission for any non-profit, academic use of these tagged texts, provided that the editor(s) of the texts and the project directors are informed of the use to which the data is being put.

Legal Jurisdiction

The Online Critical Pseudepigrapha comes under the jurisdiction of copyright law for Ontario, Canada.