• What are Permissions?

• What rights does the Penguin Group (USA) Permissions Department handle?

• What rights are NOT handled by the Permissions Department?

• Where do I go for rights not handled by the Permissions Department?

• What will I need in order to apply for a permission?

• How long will it take to process my request & receive a response?

• What if I don't yet have a publisher for my book?

• How do I contact adult permissions?

Permissions is a grant of rights for the use of an excerpt from copyrighted material  to be used in another work.  Examples might be a short quotation from one book used in another book, a poem to be used in another book of poetry, a chart from a book to be used in a corporate newsletter, a short story to be photocopied for classroom use, etc.

Back to top What rights does the Penguin Group (USA) Adult Permissions Department handle?

The Penguin Group (USA) permissions department can process requests for ADULT Penguin Group (USA), Inc titles for rights including:

• Permissions (The use of a portion of one of our publications in your book.)

• Photocopy (Photocopying a portion of one of our publications -- generally for classroom or educational use.)

• Non-Profit Second Serial (The use of a portion of one of our publications in a non-profit magazine/newsletter/journal after the publication date of our book.)

• Non-Profit Electronic (The use of a portion of one of our publications on your CD-Rom or non-profit web site.)

• Digital requests for disabled students

• Audio Recording (The use of a portion of one of our publications in audio format on cassette, CD, etc.)

• Recordings for the visually disabled (The recording of an entire book for non-profit use by the visually disabled.)

• Book as prop (The use of one of our book covers/jackets as a prop in a film or on television.)

• Musical Setting (The right to set material from our publications to music.)

Back to top What rights are NOT handled by the Permissions Department?

• Juvenile Titles  (Children's books, Books for Young Readers, etc.)

• Reprint (The right to reprint an entire book.)

• Translation (The right to translate an entire book into another language.)

• Performing  (Motion Picture, Television, Radio and Dramatic rights.)

• First Serial  (Use of material from a Penguin Group (USA) title which has not yet been published.)

• Commercial Second Serial  (Use of material from a Penguin Group (USA) title in a commercial newspaper or magazine.)

• Commercial Web Site  (Use of material from a Penguin Group (USA) title on a commercial web-site.)

Back to top Where do I go for rights not handled by the Permissions Department?

Click here for a list of addresses and phone numbers for other Penguin Group (USA) departments. What will I need in order to apply for a permission?

• The title and author of the Penguin Group (USA) book from which you wish to use material.

• Description of exact material you wish to use, i.e.: title of story/poem, page numbers, illustrations, etc.

• The name of the Publisher who will be publishing your material.

• The title and author of the book (or other publication) in which you wish to use the Penguin Group (USA) material.

• Your publishing details: where applicable, the publication date, size of first printing or circulation, format (hardcover, paperback, CD, etc.), list price, and total number of pages for each edition of the book (or other publication), circulation and frequency of publication, in which you wish to use the Penguin Group (USA) material.

• More details:

  • For further details, click here if you are requesting permission to photocopy.

Back to top How long will it take to process my request & receive a response?

All requests, whether received by internet, fax or US Mail, are handled in chronological order.  Titles requiring staff research may take six to eight weeks to process.  More common titles may be handled in a shorter time frame.  All contracts require original signatures and are sent out by regular mail.

Back to top What if I don't yet have a publisher for my book?

Don't apply for permission at this time.  Granting permission requires full publishing details.  When you have a signed contract with a publisher -- that's the time to request permission clearance. Click here for details.