A Law & Policy 

COPYRIGHT & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

1. Purpose & Scope

These Copyright & Intellectual Property Guidelines govern the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of all authors who submit articles, essays, case comments, or any other content (collectively, "Submissions") to [Your Blog Name] ("the Blog").

By submitting content to the Blog, the author agrees to be bound by these guidelines in their entirety. These guidelines are to be read alongside the General Submission Guidelines.

2. Copyright Ownership

2.1 Author Retains Copyright

The author of every Submission retains full copyright ownership over their original work. [Your Blog Name] does not claim ownership over any content submitted to or published on the platform.

2.2 Licence Granted to the Blog

By submitting content for publication, the author grants [Your Blog Name] a:

•       Non-exclusive licence

•       Royalty-free licence

•       Worldwide licence

•       Perpetual licence (for the duration of the copyright term)

...to publish, reproduce, distribute, display, and archive the Submission on the Blog and its affiliated platforms (including social media, newsletters, and partner publications), with full attribution to the author.

2.3 Moral Rights

The Blog acknowledges and respects the author’s moral rights, including:

•       The right of attribution (to be identified as the author)

•       The right of integrity (protection against derogatory treatment of the work)

The editorial team will not make substantive changes to the author’s work without prior written consent. Minor corrections for grammar, spelling, formatting, and citation style do not require separate consent.

3. Originality & Plagiarism Policy

3.1 Originality Requirement

All Submissions must represent the author’s own original work. The following are strictly prohibited:

•       Verbatim reproduction of another author’s work without attribution

•       Paraphrasing without citation

•       Translation of another’s work presented as original

•       Presenting AI-generated content as the author’s own original work

•       Submitting work that has been previously published, in whole or in part

3.2 Plagiarism Detection

All Submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software prior to editorial review. Submissions with a similarity index exceeding 15% (excluding properly cited quotations) will be returned to the author for revision or rejected outright depending on the nature of the duplication.

3.3 Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism — the re-use of one’s own previously published content without disclosure — is also prohibited. Authors who wish to build upon their prior work must:

1.    Disclose the prior publication at the time of submission

2.    Clearly differentiate the new contribution from the earlier work

3.    Obtain consent from any earlier co-author(s) if applicable

4. Use of Third-Party Copyrighted Material

4.1 General Rule

Authors are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions before reproducing any third-party copyrighted material in their Submission, including but not limited to:

•       Text excerpts from books, journal articles, or reports

•       Judgments and legal texts (subject to jurisdiction-specific rules — see Section 4.3)

•       Tables, figures, charts, or data from third-party sources

•       Photographs, maps, or illustrations

•       Song lyrics, poems, or literary excerpts

4.2 Fair Dealing / Fair Use

Reproduction of limited portions of copyrighted material may be permissible under the doctrine of fair dealing (applicable in India and Commonwealth jurisdictions) or fair use (applicable in the United States), provided:

•       The use is for purposes of criticism, commentary, review, research, or education

•       The amount reproduced is proportionate and not excessive

•       The source and author are fully attributed

•       The use does not harm the market for the original work

4.3 Use of Judgments, Statutes & Government Documents

In most jurisdictions, judgments of courts, legislation, and official government documents are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. However, authors must:

•   Cite the source accurately (court, year, citation number)

•   Not reproduce private annotations, headnotes, or editorial additions from licensed legal databases (e.g., SCC Online, Manupatra, Westlaw) without permission

•  Note the jurisdiction when the law being cited may vary across regions

4.4 Permission Documentation

Where third-party permission has been obtained, the author must:

1.    Attach proof of permission to the submission email

2.    Include an acknowledgement within the article itself (e.g., in a footnote or image caption)

3.    Retain the original permission correspondence for at least two years after publication

5. Use of AI-Generated Content

The Blog recognises the growing role of AI tools in legal research and writing. The following rules apply:

Authors must declare any material use of AI tools in the preparation of their Submission in the cover email. Failure to disclose will be treated as a violation of these guidelines.

6. Simultaneous & Prior Publication Policy

•       Submissions must not be under simultaneous review at another publication.

•       Submissions must not have been previously published in any form — including on personal blogs, LinkedIn, SSRN, academia.edu, or any other platform.

•       If a Submission has been presented at a conference or seminar (as a paper or abstract), this must be disclosed at the time of submission.

•       If a Submission is accepted by another publication during our review period, the author must notify the Blog immediately and withdraw the Submission.

7. Post-Publication Rights & Obligations

7.1 Author Republication

After publication on the Blog, the author may:

•       Upload the article to academic repositories (SSRN, academia.edu, institutional repositories)

•       Republish in edited volumes or journals (subject to those publishers’ policies)

•       Share on personal or institutional websites

In all cases, the author must include the following attribution notice:

7.2 Takedown & Correction Requests

After publication, the Blog will consider takedown or correction requests only in the following circumstances:

•       A factual or legal error that materially misleads readers

•       A court order or statutory direction requiring removal

•       A verified claim of copyright infringement by a third party

•       A formal retraction due to research misconduct

Requests for removal based on personal regret, reputational concern, or change of opinion will not ordinarily be entertained. All requests must be submitted in writing to [editor@yourblog.com].

8. Third-Party Infringement Claims

If a third party notifies the Blog of an alleged copyright infringement in a published article, the Blog will:

7.    Notify the concerned author within 48 hours of receiving the claim

8.    Temporarily withhold the article from public access pending investigation, if necessary

9.    Conduct a preliminary review of the claim in consultation with the author

10.  Remove or modify the content if the claim is substantiated

11.  Restore the article if the claim is found to be unsubstantiated

The author bears full legal responsibility for any copyright infringement arising from content in their Submission. The Blog will not assume legal liability for such infringement but will cooperate fully with lawful processes.

9. Breach of Copyright Guidelines

Violations of these guidelines may result in:

10. Author Declaration

Every author must include the following declaration in their submission email:

11. Governing Law

These guidelines are governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 (India) and applicable international conventions including the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. Authors submitting from other jurisdictions should note that their local copyright law may also apply.

Any disputes arising from these guidelines shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in [City, India].

12. Contact for Copyright Queries

For questions regarding copyright, permissions, or third-party claims, contact:

•       Email: helpdesk.liberty.lexicon@gmail.com

•       Response time: 5–7 business days