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Permission Requests
Permission is required before reproducing any content from Scientific American’s magazines, website(s) and digital products.
Permission to reproduce most text, illustrations, figures and graphs – excluding magazine covers – is processed via Rightslink. Please note that we do not process photography permissions.
For permission requests unavailable through Rightslink, and for requests to use magazine covers, fill out one of forms below.
Due to high volume, allow 8-10 weeks for processing. Requests will be processed in the order they are received. Incomplete requests will not be processed. Please do not submit duplicate requests or ask for a status update. Doing so may delay processing time.
Please see FAQ’s below for further information.
Permission Requests Via Rightslink
• Locate the content you wish to reproduce on ScientificAmerican.com
• If you see our Paywall and cannot view the article, please see Paywall and Access, below.
• Scroll to the bottom of the article and look for the words "Rights & Permissions" (if you do not see these words, the article is not available for licensing through Rightslink)
• Click on “Rights and Permissions”
• A Rightslink window will open. Within this window, select either the test or image you wish to reproduce and then fill out ALL publication details.
• When finished, select “Continue”
• Sign-in with your existing Rightslink account, or if a new user, create an account.
• Submit your request and payment information (if required) for processing.
• Print your license.
Other Permission Requests
Full article text requests, use this form.
Text excerpt requests, use this form.
Covers, illustrations, figures and graphs, use this form.
For photography requests, we suggest you contact the photographer listed in the image credit.
Photocopy Requests
Photocopying rights are hereby granted by Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc., to libraries and others registered with the not-for-profit organization, Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy articles in the printed version of Scientific American. To register with the CCC go to www.copyright.com or call CCC, Phone No. 978-750-8400.
Reprints
To request Reprints, email randp@sciam.com. Minimum order quantity is 500 copies.
To request Single Copies of back issues call 800-333-1199.
Paywall and Access
Scientific American has a metered paywall. Please make sure you are signed in to ScientificAmerican.com.
• Unregistered readers to our site will have access to three complimentary articles per month before they are asked to register. Registration is free.
• Registration will grant a reader two additional free articles per month before they are asked to subscribe.
• When you purchase a subscription to Scientific American, you get unlimited access to our articles as well as news, videos, opinion articles and podcasts.
If you are unable to access the article, submit your request via one of the online forms listed above. Please note that we may provide you with a link that redirects you to Rightslink, where you will complete your transaction.
Rights and Permissions FAQs
Artist or Author Contact Information
Due to privacy concerns, we cannot provide contact information.
Digital Files
We do not provide digital files.
Embed Codes and RSS Feeds
Permission is not required for your use of our publicly available Scientific American branded RSS feeds or publicly available Scientific American branded video Embed codes.
Embargo period
We do not grant permission to license magazine content for a period of 90 days from the cover date of the issue. Please check back after the embargo period has ended to see if the article is available for licensing. (If you still do not see the words “Rights and Permissions” at the bottom of the article, it means the article is not available for licensing.)
Endorsements
We do not permit our content to be used to imply endorsement of a product or service.
Excerpts
Must be reproduced verbatim, as a continuous, uninterrupted excerpt. No alteration is permitted. Excerpts cannot be used in such a way as to change the intended meaning of the original article.
Fair Use
Some proposed uses may fall under the Fair Use legal doctrine. We cannot provide you with advice about what constitutes Fair Use. For reference see – https://copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html.
Fees
All permission licenses are subject to fees, with the minimum permission fee starting at $100.
For Our Authors
Scientific American authors should contact editors@sciam.com for instructions related to re-use of your article(s).
Foreign Languages
To translate content into a foreign language or license content from one of our international editions, contact the international edition directly. For a complete list of our international editions, go to https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/international/)
Linking to Scientific American Content
Permission is not required to link to our content.
Multimedia Permission (Podcasts and Video)
Send a detailed request to randp@sciam.com. Please note that you do not need permission to link to or embed our videos.
Photo Permissions
We do not process permissions for photos. We suggest you contact the photographer listed in the photo credit.
Post a PDF
Posting Scientific American PDFs is not permitted.
Request Permission
Permission for most text may be obtained through Rightslink (by clicking on the Rights and Permissions tag at the end of the article), or by completing a Permission Request Form. For all other permission request, fill out one of forms above.
Research Services
We do not provide research services and cannot help you locate images, articles, issues, etc.
Rush Requests
We do not offer rush services. Due to high volume, please allow 8-10 weeks for a response to ALL permission requests.
Scitable
You may reproduce Scitable by Nature Education content, without modifications, in print or electronic form for your personal, non-commercial purposes or for non-commercial use in an educational environment.
Permission is limited to the terms above. Additional rights will not be granted for re-use of this content.
If the content credits a third party as a source for the text or image you will need to contact the credited source for permission.
For a complete list of Scitable posted terms, go to: https://www.nature.com/scitable/viewTermsOfUse/
Public domain
We cannot provide advice about whether specific content is in the public domain. Note: Trademark rules may still apply to content in the public domain.
How long does a permission request take?
Allow 8-10 weeks for processing. You will be contacted if we need additional information. Follow up only if you have not received a contract within 6-8 weeks of original submission. Do not send multiple inquiries about the same permission as this further slows down the process.
If you still have questions after reading through our FAQ’s, contact randp@sciam.com. Please allow 8-10 weeks for a response.
