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9 July 2025
Copyright in
Medical Communications
Industry Insights
In-the-field professionals share their perspectives on common copyright and compliance challenges in medical communications.
Q: A reader asked in the June 18 Industry Insight whether MedComms professionals consider every task/deliverable they manage on behalf of a client a “medical communications project.” We shared initial feedback from CCC’s Permissions Roundtable in June and asked Industry Insights readers to weigh in by answering our one-question poll. Below are the results:
Industry Insights is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal or other professional advice. If you have legal questions, please consult your own legal counsel. Also note that the opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of CCC or its affiliates and may be specific to a particular jurisdiction. The content on this page is provided “as is” and no representations are made that the content is error-free.
I understand there is no single global copyright law, but are there other types of international agreements I need to know about as an employee of a U.S.-based company when sharing copyrighted content with contacts located in other different countries?
Chloe Olore, Educational Program Specialist at CCC, provides her perspective on this question below.
Most countries have their own copyright laws and requirements. While there is no single unifying copyright law, there are several international treaties that cover copyright law, and the United States has agreed to comply with a number of them.
The broadest of these agreements is the Berne Convention. The Berne Convention covers several basic copyright concepts like types of rights and prohibits what are called “formalities,” which are requirements that must be met before copyright protection is allowed. Requiring registration for copyright protection is one example of a formality. While the treaties and the implementing laws can be complex, there are three principles that they all have in common:
- Territoriality – Each country has its own copyright law and implements treaties separately. There are differences in how countries approach implementation, so you should look at the specific law governing uses in the country the work is created or used in in addition to the treaty language.
- National Treatment – A country must treat foreign works and foreign rightsholders no less well than rightsholders and their works in that country.
- Minimum Protection – Whatever the treaty states is the minimum standard for copyright protection and for exceptions and limitations to those protections; this means that specific countries might have additional protections and requirements in place, beyond those in a treaty.
When using content globally, you should consider both applicable international treaties as well as the national laws of the country where the content is created and will be shared. Also consider the licenses and subscriptions that the company has invested in and, of course, compliance with the company’s copyright policies. All these elements must be factored into any decision about reusing, sharing and/or publishing content internationally.
25 June 2025
Do MedComm professionals consider every task/deliverable they manage on behalf of a client a “medical communications project?”
This question was discussed at CCC’s Permissions Roundtable hosted at Springer Nature’s office in London in May. Some MedComm professionals attending shared that on occasion they consider a presentation to be a standalone deliverable rather than a “medical communications project.” Share your thoughts on this question by answering our one-question poll. We will share the results in an upcoming Industry Insights.
18 June 2025
As we plan for the year ahead, it would be helpful as a Rightsholder to know more about the permissions projects the medical communications agencies anticipate they will manage over the next few months. Do MedComms know in advance the number and type of permissions they will need to secure on behalf of their clients?
CCC reached out to MedComms professionals to learn whether they have a clear understanding of what projects they will be working on in the coming months.
The 21 attendees of CCC’s March and May roundtables agreed that they do not know in advance the number and type of permissions they will be charged with securing over the next 12 months. On a related note, 50% of attendees shared that they are provided a list of titles for which they need to secure permissions while 25% are provided with some specific titles and are charged with identifying additionally required content themselves. It is rare that the MedComm agent is provided with a topic and responsible for identifying the needed permissions.
11 June 2025
CCC eBook
Guide to Understanding Copyright and Content Reuse in Medical Communications
This detailed guide was created by CCC to offer information on copyright law, both U.S. and internationally, insights into the basics of copyright ownership, what is and isn’t protected by U.S. copyright law, and strategies for evaluating companies’ copyright compliance and making informed decisions about everyday content reuse.
Learn more about copyright in Medical Communications
Addressing Common Reuse Questions in Medical Communications
Watch a panel of experts discuss copyright as it pertains to the work of medical communications professionals, including common use cases around MedComms permissions, standards-related questions, open access, tables, figures, charts and more.
Top 10 Misconceptions About Copyright in Medical Communications
Learn about common misconceptions around content access and reuse and view guidelines for educating yourself—and your clients—on the responsible use of published content.
Copyright Basics for Medical Communications Complimentary Webcast
Register today to join our educational webcast designed to help Medical Communications professionals build awareness of copyright and content use.
CCC Marketplace
A Single Destination for Your Copyright Permissions, Content, and Reprints Needs
CCC Marketplace is an e-commerce site with more than 175 million searchable works from thousands of leading STM publishers and societies. Marketplace allows you to get permissions faster, purchase content, and request reprints without having to navigate multiple publisher websites and unique workflows.
You can also search, order, and manage multiple permissions requests at once and manage your invoices and payments in a single system using Marketplace’s project workflow tools.
