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Permission is required before reproducing any content from Scientific American’s magazines, website(s) and digital products.
Permission to reproduce most content from 2008 - present is processed via Rightslink.
For all other permission requests, fill out one of forms below. Due to high volume, allow 6-8 weeks for processing. Requests will be processed in the order they are received. Incomplete requests will not be processed. Do not submit duplicate requests.
Please see FAQ’s below for further information.
Text Permission Requests Via Rightslink
• Locate the article you wish to reproduce on ScientificAmerican.com
• Scroll to the bottom of the article and look for the words "Rights & Permissions" (if you do not see these words, the article is not available for licensing)
• Click on “Rights and Permissions”
• A Rightslink window will open. Within this window, select how you would like to reuse the content by filling out ALL publication details.
• When finished, select “Continue”
• Sign-in with your existing Rightslink account, or if a new user, create an account.
• Submit your request and payment information (if required) for processing.
• Print your license.
Forms For All Other Permission Requests
Full Text of Article - for content published prior to 2008
Excerpt from Article - for content published prior to 2008
Image - Illustrations and Charts - all years
Photocopy Requests
Photocopying rights are hereby granted by Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc., to libraries and others registered with the not-for-profit organization, Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy articles in the printed version of Scientific American. To register with the CCC go to www.copyright.com or call CCC, Phone No. 978-750-8400.
REPRINTS
To request Reprints, email randp@sciam.com. Minimum order quantity is 500 copies.
To request Single Copies of back issues call 800-333-1199.
Rights and Permissions FAQ’s
Artist or Author Contact Information
Due to privacy concerns, we cannot provide contact information.
Digital Files
We do not provide digital files.
Embed Codes and RSS Feeds
Permission is not required for your use of our publicly available Scientific American branded RSS feeds or publicly available Scientific American branded video Embed codes.
Embargo period
We do not grant permission to license magazine content for a period of 90 days from the cover date of the issue. Please check back after the embargo period has ended to see if the article is available for licensing. (If you still do not see the words “Rights and Permissions” at the bottom of the article, it means the article is not available for licensing.)
Endorsements
We do not permit our content to be used to imply endorsement of a product or service.
Excerpts
Must be reproduced verbatim, as a continuous, uninterrupted excerpt. No alteration is permitted. Excerpts cannot be used in such a way as to change the intended meaning of the original article.
Fair Use
Some proposed uses may fall under the Fair Use legal doctrine. We cannot provide you with advice about what constitutes Fair Use. For reference see – https://copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html.
For Our Authors
Scientific American authors should contact brianne.kane@sciam.com for instructions related to re-use of your article(s).
Foreign Languages
To translate content into a foreign language or license content from one of our international editions, contact the international edition directly. For a complete list of our international editions, go to https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/international/)
Linking to Scientific American Content
Permission is not required to link to our content.
Multimedia Permission (Podcasts and Video)
Send a detailed request to randp@sciam.com.
Photo Permissions
We do not process permissions for photos. We suggest you contact the photographer listed in the photo credit.
Post a PDF
Posting Scientific American PDF’s is not permitted.
Request Permission
Permission may be obtained through Rightslink (by clicking on the Rights and Permissions tag at the end of the article), or by completing a Permission Request Form.
Research Services
We do not provide research services and cannot help you locate images, articles, issues, etc.
Rush Requests
We do not offer rush services. Due to high volume, please allow 6-8 weeks for a response to ALL permission requests.
Scitable
You may reproduce Scitable by Nature Education content, without modifications, in print or electronic form for your personal, non-commercial purposes or for non-commercial use in an educational environment.
Permission is limited to the terms above. Additional rights will not be granted for re-use of this content.
If the content credits a third party as a source for the text or image you will need to contact the credited source for permission.
For a complete list of Scitable posted terms, go to: https://www.nature.com/scitable/viewTermsOfUse/
Public domain
We cannot provide advice about whether specific content is in the public domain. Note: Trademark rules may still apply to content in the public domain.
If you still have questions after reading through our FAQ’s, contact randp@sciam.com. Please allow 6-8 weeks for a response.
