Why rights and permissions matter for founders

Unlike novelists, business authors routinely include third-party material: customer stories, analyst charts, product screenshots, quotes from executives, and photos from events. Each element carries potential legal obligations. Getting this right avoids delays with printers and platforms, prevents takedown notices, and creates new revenue options (translation, audio, and corporate bulk rights).

The rights landscape: a simple map

Here’s the high-level view of rights relevant to a business book:

• Copyright (text, images, graphs): Automatically created when an original work is fixed in a tangible form. You own your original writing unless you assign or license it.
• Moral rights: More prominent outside the U.S. (e.g., EU), covering attribution and integrity. Often cannot be fully waived in some jurisdictions.
• Trademarks: Brand names and logos. Referencing a mark is generally allowed for descriptive purposes, but logo reproduction can trigger permission requirements.
• Right of publicity and privacy: Using a person’s name, likeness, or story for commercial purposes may require consent, especially for endorsements and identifiable case studies.
• Contract rights: Publishing agreements, collaborator contracts, and platform terms can override default rules.

Who owns your manuscript?

Ownership seems obvious—until it isn’t. Clarify authorship before drafting.

Employees, contractors, and collaborators

• Employees: In many jurisdictions, employer owns works created within job scope. Still, put it in writing.
• Contractors/ghostwriters: Use a work-for-hire agreement (where valid) plus a full assignment of copyright and moral rights waiver (as permitted). Absent this, the contractor owns the text.
• Co-authors: Establish percentage ownership, decision-making, expense splits, and how rights revert if one party exits.

Keep signed copies of all agreements. If a publisher or distributor requests proof during onboarding, you’ll respond in minutes—not weeks.

Quoting other sources: fair use, length, and licensing

Business books often include quotes from articles, books, research, or internal documents. Here’s how to navigate the thicket.

Fair use (U.S.) and fair dealing (varies by country)

Fair use considers four factors: purpose, nature, amount, and market effect. Most business books are commercial, which weighs against fair use. Short quotes for commentary/critique may be fair, but there’s no fixed word limit that guarantees safety.

• Purpose: Transformative commentary, analysis, or critique is stronger than decoration.
• Nature: Using facts is safer than creative expression; unpublished works are riskier.
• Amount: Use the minimum necessary; avoid the “heart” of the source.
• Market effect: Avoid excerpts that could substitute for the original.

What typically needs explicit permission

• Song lyrics: Nearly always require licensing—even short excerpts.
• Poetry: High-protection category; often needs permission.
• Charts/tables/figures from analysts or publishers: Expect a license fee and credit line.
• Long excerpts from books or articles: When in doubt, request permission.

Practical quoting rules of thumb

• Paraphrase facts and cite the source instead of quoting long passages.
• Use epigraphs only from public-domain or licensed works.
• Keep a quote log with source, word count, license status, and required credit lines.

Images, charts, screenshots, and logos

Visuals carry unique risks. Treat each category deliberately.

• Stock photos: Use reputable libraries; store license receipts and follow attribution requirements.
• Charts/ Recreate the visualization with your own design when the data (not the chart) is the protected element from a source. If the source’s visualization is protected, seek permission.
• Screenshots: Platform terms of service vary. Some allow editorial use with attribution; others restrict any reproduction. Check and document the TOS at the time of capture.
• Logos: Descriptive references are often fine, but reproducing logos in a way that implies endorsement may require permission. Avoid cover designs that foreground third-party marks.

Case studies, interviews, and testimonials

Featuring real clients and executives is powerful—and sensitive. Balance credibility with consent.

• Consent: Obtain written permission to use names, titles, quotes, and identifiable details. Include approval for print, ebook, audiobook, and marketing excerpts.
• Anonymization: If a company declines permission, remove identifying details or create a composite example clearly labeled as such.
• NDAs: Confirm your use does not violate confidentiality agreements. When in doubt, get written clearance from the counterparty.
• Endorsements: Blurbs and forewords should include explicit permission to use the endorser’s name and title on cover, website, and ads.
• Personal For EU data subjects, evaluate GDPR implications if processing or publishing personal data.

AI-generated content: ownership, disclosure, and risk

AI is now part of many nonfiction workflows. Consider these points:

• Ownership: In many jurisdictions, human authorship is central to copyright. Treat AI output as a drafting aid; ensure a human author curates, edits, and adds original expression.
• Training data concerns: Avoid verbatim reproduction of copyrighted text. Use originality checks and rewrite in your own voice.
• Attribution/disclosure: Some publishers and conferences ask for AI-use disclosure. Keep a notes file describing your process.
• Platform terms: Review the AI tool’s terms for allowed commercial uses and any required notices.

Your rights bundle: plan for revenue, not just risk

Think beyond the first edition. A strategic rights plan can create downstream revenue and reach.

• Audio rights: Produce in-house or license to an audio publisher.
• Translation rights: License by language/territory with reversion if sales targets aren’t met.
• Territory and format: Define where and how (print, ebook, audio) your book is sold.
• Bulk and enterprise rights: Offer volume discounts, custom forewords, or company-branded print runs via a special license.
• Excerpt and derivative rights: License chapters to trade magazines or use them as gated content.

Publishing contracts: clauses that matter

Whether you self-publish or sign with a traditional press, you’ll encounter similar concepts.

• Grant of rights: Exclusive or non-exclusive; list formats and territories. Retain unneeded rights (e.g., you might keep audio if the publisher won’t exploit it).
• Term and reversion: Clear triggers for “out of print” and rights reversion (e.g., sales or revenue thresholds).
• Approval and delivery: Who approves cover, subtitle, and copy? What’s the timeline?
• Option/non-compete: Avoid broad clauses that restrict your future books or related courses.
• Warranties and indemnities: You warrant originality and non-infringement; limit your indemnity and exclude consequential damages where possible.
• Accounting and audit: Payment frequency, reserves against returns, audit rights.

Global considerations for 2025

• EU/UK moral rights: Often stronger than in the U.S.; be careful with edits to others’ works and ensure proper attribution.
• GDPR and privacy: Document consent for identifiable case studies and ensure a lawful basis for processing personal data.
• Text and data mining exceptions: Rules vary by country; they don’t automatically grant permission to reproduce output.
• Public domain dates: Public domain eligibility varies; confirm based on the country of publication and author death dates.

Permissions workflow you can run in a week

Use a lightweight rights-tracking system to keep your manuscript moving.

Set up a permissions log

• Columns: Chapter, asset type (quote/image/chart/screenshot/case study), source, word/image count, URL/ISBN, license type (public domain/CC/owned/permission requested), status, credit line, file link, approval date.
• Single source of truth: Store signed permissions and license receipts in a cloud folder and link them in the log.
• Version control: If text changes, confirm that permissions still match the final wording.

Request permission early with a clear ask

Subject: Permission request for brief excerpt in business book Hello [Rights Holder], I’m requesting permission to include a [50-word excerpt / 1 chart] from [Title, Author, Year, page/figure] in my forthcoming nonfiction book, working title “[Book Title],” to be published [Print + Ebook + Audio] worldwide in English, targeted for [Month, Year]. Proposed credit line: “Excerpt/figure from [Title] by [Author], [Publisher, Year]. Used with permission.” Please advise license fee, wording, and any additional requirements. Thank you, [Your Name]

Budget and timeline

• Timing: Start permissions 8–10 weeks before final files. Follow up every 10–14 days.
• Costs: Simple text permissions can be modest; analyst figures and photos may cost more. Build a buffer in your budget.
• Fallback plan: If a license stalls, paraphrase, replace with a public domain or CC alternative, or commission an original graphic.

Prepublication legal review checklist

• All third-party quotes logged, sourced, and cleared or removed
• All images/screenshots licensed or replaced; credit lines confirmed
• Case studies and interviews have signed permissions; sensitive details approved
• No confidential or defamatory statements; claims are substantiated
• Trademarks referenced descriptively without implying endorsement
• Contracts with collaborators assign rights to the author entity
• Metadata (subtitle, description) free of unlicensed claims or marks

How tools can help (and what to avoid)

Writing tools won’t replace legal counsel, but they can reduce chaos.

• Structure-first drafting: Outline chapters early to identify where you’ll need quotes, visuals, or case studies—so permissions start on time.
• Centralized exports: Exporting your manuscript to PDF or TXT simplifies legal review and mark-up.
• Version snapshots: Keep dated exports when submitting to reviewers or counsel.

If you’re considering an AI-assisted workflow, LibroFlow can help you generate structured drafts with chapter plans and export to PDF/TXT for legal review. There’s a free tier to test, and paid credits start at €29 for one book (or €79 for three).

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Assuming “credit = permission”: Attribution alone rarely substitutes for a license.
• Waiting until layout: Designers can’t place unlicensed assets. Secure permissions before final typesetting.
• Improper endorsements: Avoid cover blurbs or case study phrasing that implies a company endorses your product unless you have explicit consent.
• Unclear audio rights: If you plan an audiobook, secure audio permissions for any third-party text you read aloud.

Putting it all together

Successful founder-authors treat rights like product requirements: defined early, tested often, and documented thoroughly. Start with a clean authorship agreement, keep a meticulous permissions log, and design your content to minimize risky dependencies. You’ll protect your launch date—and unlock new licensing opportunities after publication.