Copyright

AYRS Editor’s Views on Copyright

AYRS publications are published by the Amateur Yacht Research Society Ltd, BCM AYRS, London WC1N 3XX, UK. It is a condition of submission that authors give AYRS unlimited, but not exclusive, permission to publish the material submitted. AYRS as a body however does not take responsibility for opinions expressed by individual authors.

AYRS publications are copyright under the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights are reserved. Apart from any copying under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Part I, Section 38, whereby a single copy of one article may be supplied under certain conditions for the purposes of research or private study, by a library of a class prescribed by the Copyright (Librarians and Archivists) Regulations 1989:SI1989/12, no part of a publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of AYRS.

Multiple copying of the content of AYRS publications without permission is always illegal.

Authorisation from AYRS to photocopy items for personal use, or for the personal use of specific clients, is granted ONLY to libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) Transactional Reporting Service, 21 Congress St, Salem, MA 01970, USA. This authorisation does not extend to other kinds of copying, such as for resale, or to other bodies.

Further information as to what is acceptable copying practice under British law can be found, for example, at the UK Copyright Licensing Agency.

What does this mean in practice ?

1. Implicitly, if you send something to AYRS to publish, you give us permission to publish, in any way and to the extent we choose. This includes paper publications sent to our subscribing members, or sold to the public to raise funds for AYRS (a UK-registered Charity), or given away as publicity. It also includes permission to reproduce the material on our WWW pages.

2. However, by publishing material in AYRS publications, you do NOT in any way lose any of your rights to have the same material published elsewhere. *

3. AYRS does however believe that the “look and feel” of its publications are copyright, and that any THIRD PARTIES wanting to photocopy or otherwise reproduce and distribute material from AYRS publications should get our permission first.
We think that’s only fair and courteous.

4. LIBRARIES of certain classes are automatically granted permission to copy articles under defined circumstances. COMMERCIAL ORGANISATIONS selling copies of articles to their clients will be expected to ask permission first, and may be required to pay us a fee. Copies made without permission are ILLEGAL.

Copies of recent articles can always be obtained from AYRS. Copies of all back numbers, including out of print editions, can also be obtained from AYRS (despite certain claims to the contrary!). The cost will depend on whether you are a member or not. (See the Publications List) Those AYRS publications that are in print can also be obtained through various outlets in the book trade.

Note: The ONLY legal source for photocopies of out-of-print AYRS publications is AYRS itself. You buy “black market” photocopies from other people at your own risk!

5. Insofar as the AYRS e-mail list <ayrs@yahoogroups.co.uk> is concerned, AYRS regards material posted there as similar to any other material sent to AYRS e.g. letters through the normal public mails. Just like sending a letter to the editor of a newspaper, there is an implied license to publish, unless specifically noted otherwise. (If not, why send it to the newspaper?)

However, in the light of some past confusion, it is my policy and normal practice to e-mail to message originators for confirmation before reprinting Internet posts in AYRS paper publications.

Editorial practice

I try to produce professional-looking publications. That means, for example, starting articles at the top of pages, and not leaving large white spaces. Frequently I have to sub-edit articles and letters to fit them into the space available.

I also try to stick to my own publishing deadlines.

As a result I do not always have time to check with authors before making minor cuts, or minor changes to wording, in order to fit their material into the space available. Major changes are checked if I can contact the author easily.

I do not make changes that appear to me to affect materially the sense of what is written. However, on occasions, I will publish a quotation from a letter where I feel only a part is of interest to AYRS. It will be made clear in the published copy when that has occurred.

I do not publish material containing personal abuse, whether substantiated or not.

Advertising and “Advertorial” material

AYRS will accept advertising in its publications. Rates may be obtained by writing to the Secretary (BCM AYRS, London WC1N 3XX, UK). Advertising is expected to be relevant to AYRS members interests, but will be refused if it seems or could seem to compromise AYRS editorial independence, or to conflict with AYRS aims or commercial interests. Advertising must always be laid out in such a way that it cannot be mistaken for articles or letters.

I will publish press releases provided they are factual. I try not to publish opinions on products from people who have some commercial or other interest in them unless it is clear what their interest is. Articles from yacht designers or builders about their products for example are quite acceptable, as long as it is clear to the reader that the commercial interest is there. I reserve the right to paraphrase press releases, to cut articles to fit the space available, to hold them over to future editions, or to leave them out altogether.

Paid-for advertising that is not published will be held over to future editions or the fees returned. No liability is accepted for advertisers’ set-up costs under any circumstances.

Simon Fishwick
AYRS’ Honorary Editor

If anyone has any queries, I am quite happy to discuss them. Send me a message at Editor@ayrs.org.

* This may not apply to authors who, at the time of submitting material, were AYRS Directors or employees; but that affects only a few specific people.

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