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A-1 Operator Club Pin -- Show off your achievement for being among those operators that meet the highest operating standards.

RSGB IOTA Directory -- Now Shipping! -- Everything you need to know to enjoy collecting islands for the popular worldwide IOTA (Islands on the Air) award.

Worked All States Pin -- You won the award...now show off your accomplishment!

2009 ARRL Amateur Radio Calendar -- Now Shipping! -- Deluxe 13 month calendar, featuring the vintage radio photography of Joe Veras, K9OCO. Includes important ham radio dates: contests, operating events and more!

DXing on the Edge -- The Thrill of 160 Meters

Questions and Answers about ARRL Reprint and Copyright Policies

Q: Can I make a small number of photocopies of ARRL materials for use in license classes, club meetings and other small gatherings?

A. Yes. This type of use falls under what is called the "fair use" provision of copyright law. You don't need to ask our permission to do this.

Q: If I am writing a book, magazine article or Web article, can I use photos and text from ARRL books and magazines?

A. Possibly. You must first request permission in writing from the ARRL (or via e-mail at permission@arrl.org). When the materials are used, a line of text must also appear that declares the ARRL copyright, such as "Reprinted with the permission of the ARRL. Copyright ARRL."

Q: Can I post ARRL book excerpts, magazine material or software on my Web site or another site?

A: No. That is a violation of our copyright. The ARRL grants three exceptions, however.

  1. QST, QEX or NCJ authors are permitted to post copies of their published articles on their personal Web sites.

  2. ARRL Affiliated Clubs can post QST, QEX or NCJ articles on their Web sites on a temporary basis.

  3. Vendors who advertise in ARRL publications may distribute copies of articles or reviews that apply specifically to their products.

In all of these instances, prior permission is needed and the materials must include an ARRL copyright declaration as discussed above.

Q: Can I copy ARRL software and give it to my friends?

A: No. That is a violation of our copyright.

Q: I want to make some T-shirts and sell them. Can I use official ARRL logos on these shirts?

A: No. All ARRL logos are trademarks and must not be used commercially (as part of an item for sale). However, the ARRL may be willing to sell you a limited license for commercial use. Contact Publications Sales at ARRL Headquarters.

Q: Can I copy an ARRL Web story onto my Web site?

A: No, but you may link to the ARRL story.

Q: Can I use ARRL logos on my Web site?

A: If your Web site is noncommercial (you aren't selling anything) and you are an ARRL member, yes.

Q: Can I use ARRL logos are part of my eBay auction listing?

A: No.

Q: If I purchase an ARRL book, magazine or software product, can I later decide to sell it to someone else, or offer it for auction on eBay or similar sites?

A: Yes--as long as you are selling only the item you actually purchased, not copies of the item.

Q: When the ARRL publishes an item submitted by an author (book, article, photograph, etc), does the author still own the rights to the item?

A: No. The ARRL owns all rights to the material as published. We acquire these exclusive rights because we have agreements with our International Amateur Radio Union sister societies that allow them to reprint anything we publish without copyright infringement. Also, we often use published materials for other purposes and therefore cannot have them encumbered by conflicting ownership.

It is important to point out, however, that the League does not own rights to the ideas presented in published materials (an antenna design, for example). We also do not own the rights to a particular device or software described in a book or article.

Q: I'd like to reproduce the ARRL Repeater Directory listings for my state on my Web site. Can I do this?

A: Information itself cannot be copyrighted--only the way in which the information is published. This means that you can reproduce the Repeater Directory information on your Web site, but you cannot do it in the same format as a Repeater Directory page. (Your Web page can't look like a Repeater Directory page.)

The same idea applies to factual information you may find in other ARRL publications. For instance, you can republish a list of RF loss specifications for coaxial cable that you may have seen in the ARRL Handbook, but your list can't look like the list in the ARRL Handbook.

Q: Can I make copies of W1AW Bulletins, ARRL Audio News and The ARRL Letter and redistribute them on the Web and elsewhere?

A: Yes. We only ask that you give credit to the ARRL as the source.



Page last modified: 02:31 PM, 16 May 2006 ET
Page author: qst@arrl.org
Copyright © 2006, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.