Permissions Request FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

CCEF resources are generally intended for personal use only (unless otherwise licensed) and are protected under U.S. Copyright law. As such, any individual wishing to broadcast, distribute, or duplicate the resource must submit a permission application in order to request additional permissions.

The decision to grant permissions involves a variety of factors including whether or not the author is a current employee, whether the resource is part of another published work (i.e. a book, minibook, etc.), whether or not the resource has already been translated (for translation requests), and whether or not the request falls within the fair use policy under U.S. Copyright law.

Permissions can be a complicated process and involves multiple layers of consideration including publishing contracts, rights to translation, etc. Because of this, many organizations outsource their permissions process to copyright businesses that regularly work with copyrighted print and digital media. CCEF has a relationship with Copyright Clearance Center (CCC). Academic institutions and libraries are encouraged to go directly there or to the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) for Journal of Biblical Counseling permission requests. We know that churches often want to duplicate and distribute our resources and are unable to afford the prices through CCC. Our desire is to provide an alternative in-house permissions process as a courtesy to our customers who normally would not utilize a larger copyright center for their requests.

Permissions FAQs

Is there an application fee to submit a permission request even if my permission is denied? Expand

Yes. In order to cover administrative costs necessary to process your request, there is a non-refundable fee. The application fee amount is located on the form.

How much are the additional permissions fees for an approved request? Expand

Permission fees vary by request. As such, details regarding any permission fees will be given on a case by case basis. Generally speaking, CCEF permission fees range from $10 to $100.

Our resources are priced for individuals who are serving in ministry, so we encourage individuals seeking to share a resource with a few people to encourage each individual to purchase their own copy.

• Example: A digital subscription is $21 per year. A counseling center may want each of its 5 counselors to have a copy. In that case, we encourage each counselor to purchase their own subscription and ask that the center not submit a permissions form asking to share the one $21 subscription with 5 individuals.

What if there is not a form for my particular request? Expand

Please review the forms and choose the one that most closely resembles your request.

What if there is not enough room on the form to submit my request? Expand

Additional comments and requests can be made in the Message section of the form.

How long does it take to get a response to my request? Expand

Once a completed form is received and payment made for the application fee, you will receive an answer within 5-10 business days. In some instances, when forms are not completely or accurately filled out, additional information will be requested and may result in a delay to process your request.

May I share a JBC article? Expand

According to our policy, you may share a single article in a one-on-one context up to 20 times. If you exceed 20 shares, or if you would like to share an article in a teaching or group setting, please fill out a Permissions Form.

Can I post a full-text JBC article on my website or blog? Expand

No. CCEF rarely approves articles for re-publishing or re-posting publicly online as they are available on our website for sale and oftentimes are under contract as parts of other published books.

How do I obtain permissions for your books, minibooks, or printed resources? Expand

You must contact the publishers of the work directly. Normally, publishing information can be found in the introductory pages of the work or on the back cover of the material. Our primary publishers for books, minibooks, and some curricula are:

• New Growth Press (customerservice@newgrowthpress.com)
• P & R Publishing (orders@prpbooks.com)
• Crossway Publishing (service@crossway.org)

How do I request permissions for resources that are no longer sold or available on your website? Expand

CCEF still retains copyright to resources that were previously published but have since gone out of print or production.

• We accept permission requests for previously published materials that are not currently available for sale. An appropriate permissions form should be completed.
• Please note, for materials that are no longer in publication (i.e. Changing Hearts/Changing Lives curriculum, etc.), the requestor must already own the material before asking for permission to utilize it. We do not provide copies of out-of-print resources.

I would like to request ongoing permissions to use a resource, how should I proceed? Expand

• Fill out the appropriate permissions request and in the Message section of the application, outline how you would like to use the resource.
• For renewal requests of previously approved permissions applications, please contact Customer Service at customerservice@ccef.org to obtain a coupon code to waive the renewal application fee.

What If I want to use more than one article, blog, or audio file? Do I need to complete a separate application for each resource? Expand

• There is no need to fill out multiple applications for the use of the same type of resource (such as distributing multiple articles)-one application will suffice; simply put the details of your specific request in the Message section of the application.
• If you want to use different types of resources, yes, you will need to complete a separate application for each type (i.e. audio vs. article).

I would like to reference your materials in a paper, book, blog, or talk. Do I need to request permissions? Expand

• Generally speaking, references or citations to CCEF materials do not need additional permissions provided that a full citation with complete and appropriate citation information is provided in your written document.
  • For example, a citation in a paper, blog, or book should include the author’s full name, full title of article, original publication, volume and issue number (if applicable) and page numbers. (Powlison, David, “The Pastor as Counselor,” Journal of Biblical Counseling 26:1, 23-39.)
    

• For references in a spoken presentation to CCEF material or quotes from CCEF authors/speakers, a simple reference to the speaker, title of the talk or resource, and acknowledgement of CCEF as source is sufficient.
• If the reference or citation falls outside of the use listed above or if you are requesting permissions to duplicate diagrams, images or other media please contact customerservice@ccef.org for further instruction.

Why do I need permission if I can find the resource somewhere for free online? Expand

One of the benefits of technology for ministries is the ability to easily distribute resources to bless and edify the body of Christ. One of the difficulties is that technology makes it easier for others to illegally distribute and duplicate our copyrighted materials. We are aware that our materials are routinely being used in unauthorized ways and resources currently for sale on store.ccef.org can be found on other websites for free.

Although we do not normally pursue those who are not in compliance with U.S. Copyright law, we do ask that individuals and organizations who want to distribute and duplicate our resources go through the proper permissions channels to do so.

What are your conditions of use? Expand

The conditions below are a general framework outlining the permissions granted when an application is submitted and approval is given by the Permissions Specialist:

• Completing and returning application form(s) does not automatically grant you permission. We will notify you in writing whether permission is granted and of any additional terms and conditions of use.
• If CCEF grants permission to your request, you are authorized and limited to what your original request stipulated. If you need to expand your request (i.e. you want to distribute additional copies of an article) you will need to complete another request.
• If CCEF grants permission, you may use copies of articles pursuant to the permission only for the purposes specified herein and in accordance with any other limitations, terms or conditions that CCEF communicates to you. Any impermissible or unauthorized use is a violation of the permission and license to use the articles, and will result, exclusive of any other remedies available to CCEF, in immediate termination of your right to use JBC articles for any purpose.
• Permission is non-exclusive.
• Reprints and/or copies are to be in the English language only.
• CCEF does not permit additions, deletions, or changes of any kind to be made to the article.
• This permission does not grant you rights to license, publish, or distribute to a third party.
• All rights not granted herein are retained by CCEF. Permission to use does not grant any rights of ownership.
• Your completion and submission of your application signifies your acceptance of all terms and conditions herein and any other terms, conditions, or limitations of use communicated to you by CCEF.