What is copyright?

Copyright is a property right that gives the creators of certain kinds of material rights to control the ways in which such material can be used. These rights are established as soon as the material has been created, with no need for official registration.

Copyright applies globally and is regulated by a number of international treaties and conventions (including the Berne Convention, the Universal Copyright Convention, the Rome Convention and the Geneva Convention).

What does "syndication" mean?

Syndication means supplying content to clients for republication in their own newspapers, magazines or books. We are happy to discuss any individual query that you might have about re-using our copyrighted material.

What does "licensing" mean?

A licensing agreement is in essence a legal permission granted by the rights owner allowing a third party to exploit the intellectual property rights on certain contractual terms. The Economist Group licenses its publications The World In… and Intelligent Life in their entirety to publishers around the world.

How do I obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted work?

You need to contact the copyright owner or the organisation to which rights have been assigned. Everyone writing for The Economist assigns the copyright of their work to us so please contact us to seek permission. Please note that we do not own copyright to any to the photographs and most of the cartoons published in The Economist.

Who are our main clients?

Our diverse range of global clients includes newspapers, magazines, books and film-production companies, as well as private businesses and educational institutions.

Can I reproduce an article I have translated into another language?

You will need to seek permission to translate and republish the article as you would do if you were planning to reproduce an article in English. We will grant you permission to republish our material in your chosen language but you will have to ensure that the translation of all material from The Economist will be carried out to the highest possible standards and that such translation shall not change the content, meaning, spirit or tone of the original material in English nor any opinion directly or indirectly contained therein. The translator shall be liable for any mistake or inaccuracy in the translation.

Can I reproduce the "Letters to the Editor"?

No, all "Letters to the Editor" remain the copyright of the letter writer and therefore we cannot grant permission to reproduce them.

Am I allowed to photocopy articles for classroom use?

You will need a licence to photocopy articles to use as teaching material. Please contact the Newspaper Licensing Agency or the Copyright Clearance Center (in the US) for more information and a licence.

I am a student and would like to quote a section from an article in my thesis. Is this allowed?

We are usually happy for students to quote text from The Economist for their educational coursework free of charge. Acknowledgement should be given as: "© The Economist Newspaper Ltd, London (issue date)". Permission should be sought if the work is to be published.

I want to reproduce a cartoon from a recent issue.

We do not hold the copyright to any of the cartoons or photographs that appear in The Economist. Permission will need to be sought from the copyright holder. However, we might be able to provide contact details so please contact us to enquire.

I need to trace an article from last year.

You can search for an article on our website www.economist.com. Articles dating back to 1997 are available on our online archive, together with some selected articles from previous years. However, you will not be able to read them unless you are a subscriber to either Economist.com or the print edition of The Economist. Sadly, due to the vast volume of emails we receive seeking advice, we cannot email or suggest specific articles.

Where can I buy copies of the most recent special report?

Orders from North America and Canada should be made through the New York Rights & Syndication department. Orders in the rest of the world should be made through the UK office. For orders over 100 copies, the Rights & Syndication team would be happy to discuss customisation options for your special report order. Please see the Reprints and Permissions page on this website for more information.