Usage Rights

When you read an article published by Global Journals®, here’s what you need to know about how you may use, reuse, copy, distribute, or build upon the content. Usage rights clarify what’s legally permitted, and help you avoid infringement while maximizing scholarly exchange.

What Are Usage Rights?

  • Usage Rights are the permissions granted by a copyright holder (author or publisher) that define how content can be reused. In the context of open access publishing, usage rights go beyond mere reading, they specify what you can do with the content (for example: copying, adapting, reposting) under certain conditions.
  • A key distinction is between
  • Gratis Open Access
  • content is free to read and download (no cost), but reuse is limited or restricted
  • Libre Open Access
  • content is free to read and also includes explicit reuse permissions under an open license (often Creative Commons)
  • True openness ideally includes both free access and clearly stated reuse rights, so readers know exactly what they may or may not do.

How We Define Usage Rights at Global Journals®

  • License Declaration
  • Each article is accompanied by a license that spells out permitted uses (e.g. reuse, adaptation, commercial use). We clearly display this on the article’s HTML and PDF versions.
  • Creative Commons as the Standard Tool
  • We typically employ standard Creative Commons licenses (e.g., CC BY, CC BY-NC, etc.) to grant usage rights in a consistent and machine-readable way.
  • These licenses make it easier for users to understand and comply, it clarifies legal reuse permissions upfront.
  • Conditions of Use
  • Usage rights typically include conditions such as
  • Non-Commercial (NC)
  • reuse is allowed only for noncommercial purposes (if the license includes NC)
  • No Derivatives (ND)
  • you may not adapt, remix, or transform the content (if the ND clause is present)
  • Share-Alike (SA)
  • if you adapt the content, you must license the derivative work under the same terms
  • Third-party content & permissions
  • If an article includes material drawn from another source (images, tables, texts), that material may be subject to separate usage rights. We require authors to obtain permission for third-party content and to clearly label which parts are covered under the main article’s license and which parts are exceptions.
  • Version-specific licensing
  • The license applies to the published version of record (the formatted, final version). Other versions (preprints, accepted manuscript) may carry different rights or reuse rules, these are clearly stated when applicable.
What You Can Do Under Usage Rights
  • Depending on the license applied, you may be able to
  • Download, save, and share the article with others
  • Incorporate parts of the article (e.g. figures, quotes) into your own work
  • Translate or adapt parts of the article (if the license allows derivatives)
  • Include in course material, presentations, repositories (subject to licensing terms)
  • Always ensure you provide proper attribution, indicate changes (if you adapted content), and link to the license when redistributing.
What You Cannot Do Without Permission
  • Unless explicitly allowed by the license, you should not
  • Use content for commercial purposes (if license excludes commercial use)
  • Transform, remix, or adapt content (if ND clause applies)
  • Remove the attribution notice, credit, or license when reusing
  • Redistribute the full article (beyond what the license permits) in formats or venues that conflict with the license terms
  • If in doubt, you may contact us or the copyright holder for permission.
Best Practices for Users
  • Always check the license on each article, don’t assume all content has the same reuse rules
  • When citing or reusing, include author name(s), title, journal, year, and a link or DOI, and note the license type
  • If you adapt or translate content, clearly state what was changed and under which license
  • For content not covered under the main license (e.g. third-party figures), treat it as copyrighted and request permission if needed
Common License Terms & Icons
Symbol / Term
Meaning
You May
You May Not
Notes
BY (Attribution)
You must give credit to the original author
Copy, distribute, adapt (even commercially)
-
Most flexible license
NC (Non-Commercial)
Use must be non-commercial
Reuse in educational / personal contexts
Use for profit or commercial products
“Non-commercial” can sometimes be ambiguous
ND (No Derivatives)
ND (No Derivatives)
No adaptation or modification allowed
Redistribute content as-is
Redistribute content as-is
SA (ShareAlike)
Derivatives must be licensed under same terms
Adapt content, distribute further under same license
Use a more restrictive license
Ensures openness persists
CC0 / Public Domain
No rights reserved
Use, adapt, distribute freely (commercial or non)
-
Equivalent to fully unrestricted access
Attribution Best Practices
  • When using or quoting content, follow the “TASL” attribution model
  • Title of the work
  • Author(s)
  • Source (journal name / DOI / URL)
  • License (e.g. “CC BY 4.0”)
  • Example citation
  • “Figure adapted from Smith et al. (2025), Journal of X, DOI:10.xxx/xxxx, licensed under CC BY 4.0.”
  • Include a link or brief note to the license if space allows.
  • Check Version & License Per Article
  • The final published version (version of record) is usually the one under license.
  • Preprints or accepted manuscripts may carry different reuse terms, check for disclaimers.