When Do I Need Permission for a Reprint or Web Link?
All AHIMA print, audio, and online materials are strictly protected by copyright. In some cases, however, federal copyright law allows the use of copyrighted materials without permission in accordance with what it calls "the doctrine of fair use." Below are some guidelines to help you determine if you need to obtain permission. If you'd like to go directly to the AHIMA Permissions Request click here.
Handouts
- Classroom Handouts
Are you an instructor making less than 35 copies of several pages (not more than 5 pages) of AHIMA materials for use as handouts in a classroom setting at an AHIMA-accredited learning institution? Permission NOT necessary.
- Information for Colleagues
Are you passing along a few copies to fellow colleagues simply as a matter of education and information-sharing? Permission NOT necessary.
- Compilations of Handouts
Are you compiling and copying and/or binding various materials for classroom or other distribution? Permission REQUIRED. Fill out the AHIMA Permissions Request.
- Other Handouts
Are you providing handouts for any situation not addressed above? Permission REQUIRED. Fill out the AHIMA Permissions Request.
Web Storage
AHIMA’s copyrighted materials may not be posted, stored, reproduced, or otherwise distributed online. Prohibited methods include but are not limited to YouTube, file transfer sites, and document sharing sites (secured or unsecured). Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the publisher for academic use in learning management systems; however, permission is REQUIRED. Fill out the AHIMA Permissions Request.
AHIMA Images
AHIMA requires submission of a completed AHIMA Permissions Request to request use of any graphic, image, or file from its Web site. Please note that AHIMA does not grant permission for the use of its logo, in either a print or electronic format.
Original Writing
- Text
Is your text not paraphrased, but substantially different from the copyrighted AHIMA original? Is your new text unrecognizable when compared to the original? Permission NOT necessary. The source of the information, however, must always be cited as a matter of scholarship.
- Tables and Figures
Are you copying or adapting tables or figures? Permission may NOT be necessary. What is copyrighted in graphic materials is the design or "image" of the materials, not the information. Unless graphic materials are exact reproductions, the information can be used without the formal permission of the original copyright owner. If you wish to obtain permission to reproduce an AHIMA table or figure, fill out the AHIMA Permissions Request. In all cases, the source of the information must always be cited as a matter of scholarship.
All Other Situations
Fill out the AHIMA Permissions Request.