OSV is attentive to upholding copyrights. While we work to accommodate permissions requests to the best of our ability, there is some licensed material in our publications for which we do not hold copyright and, therefore, cannot grant permission to reprint or republish.

Accessibility

Our Sunday Visitor strives to meet the needs of all of its readers, teachers, catechists, and students. We will provide publications (books, textbooks, guides, etc.) in PDF format for those requiring our material in an accessible format. Click here to fill out a request.

Books

You may copy, reprint and/or post up to 500 words of a book for noncommercial use. For use in publications, Our Sunday Visitor material must not comprise more than 40% of publication text. Please include a copyright notice with the reprinted material:

  • Excerpt(s) from [Title of book] © [author’s name] Published by Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 1-800-348-2440. www.osv.com Used by permission. No other use of this material is authorized.

Curriculum

  • You may copy, reprint and/or post up to 500 words of a book for noncommercial use. For use in publications, Our Sunday Visitor material must not comprise more than 40% of publication text. Please include a copyright notice with the reprinted material:
    • Excerpt(s) from [Title of book] © Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 1-800-348-2440. www.osv.com Used by permission. No other use of this material is authorized.
  • Individual catechists and teachers using catechist and teacher editions with the corresponding student textbooks as the major vehicle for regular instruction may photocopy Copying Masters from the publications for instructional use only and not for resale.
  • For use of online curriculum material, such as that from the Alive in Christ website, please see our terms of use.
  • Please follow fair use guidelines for classroom use. You can read more here (paying particular attention to pages 6 and 7): Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians.

Foreign Rights

Many OSV books are available for translation into a foreign language. If you are interested in obtaining foreign rights for a product, please complete and submit the Foreign Rights Request Form.

Images

OSV cannot give permission to make copies or post the images from our publications and website.

Newsweekly and Periodicals

  • You may copy or reprint up to 250 words of an article for noncommercial use. Please include a copyright notice with the reprinted material:
    • Excerpt(s) from “[Title of article]” by [name of author] from [Title of newspaper or periodical] [date of publication] © Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 1-800-348-2440. www.osv.com Used by permission. No other use of this material is authorized.
  • You may post online up to one paragraph of an article, post, or page for noncommercial use. Please include the text, “Read the full article from Our Sunday Visitor,” and link it to the corresponding page on our website.

Online Material

  • You may post online up to one paragraph of an article, post, or page. Please include the text, “Read the full text from Our Sunday Visitor,” and link it to the corresponding page on our website.
  • Many of our catechetical and curriculum programs offer online materials available as resources for catechists and teachers. These materials are not permitted for commercial use. For any questions regarding use of materials from these sites, please fill out a request form.

Out-of-Print Materials

  • The rights to many of our materials, especially our trade books, revert back to the authors when the publication goes out of print. For those publications, we cannot grant any permissions for which we no longer hold any rights. When possible, we may contact the author on your behalf.
  • For use of out-of-print pamphlets or any other out-of-print materials, please submit a permissions request form.

Pamphlets and Other Brief Publications

  • Pamphlets and booklets
    • You may copy, reprint and/or post up to 250 words of a pamphlet or booklet for noncommercial use. Please include a copyright notice with the reprinted material:
      • Excerpt(s) from [Title of pamphlet] © Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 1-800-348-2440. www.osv.com Used by permission. No other use of this material is authorized.
  • Prayer cards and magnets
    • You may copy, reprint and/or post up to 20 percent of the text only of a prayer card or magnet for noncommercial use. Please include a copyright notice with the reprinted material:
      • Excerpt(s) from [Title of prayer card] © Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 1-800-348-2440. www.osv.com Used by permission. No other use of this material is authorized.

Fair Use Guidelines

As a general rule, follow fair use guidelines for allowable uses. There are four general areas to consider (text below retrieved from Fair Use on copyright.gov):

  • The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
  • The nature of the copyrighted work
  • The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
  • The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

There are many resources online that explain in more detail how to determine if a use qualifies as “fair use.”

FAQs

Can I get copies of an image from an OSV publication or website?

OSV licenses most of the images in its publications and websites. Therefore, OSV cannot give permission to make copies or repost the images from our publications and website.

Can I get copies or get permission to make copies of out-of-print publications or pamphlets?

The rights to many of our materials, especially our trade books, revert back to the authors when the publication goes out of print. For those publications, we cannot grant any permissions for which we no longer hold any rights. When possible, we may contact the author on your behalf. For use of out-of-print pamphlets or any other out-of-print materials, please complete and submit a permissions request form.

Can I make copies of the Saint images from the Vacation Bible School materials?

You may request permission to make enlargements of the Saint images in order to display them in your parish as part of your VBS program. OSV cannot provide digital or high-resolution files for enlargements.

Can I get in contact with the author of an OSV book or publication?

As a policy, Our Sunday Visitor does not share any of our authors’ contact information. But, if possible, we can try to contact the author on behalf of the requestor in order to secure permission to reprint or republish material. For any further questions, please complete and submit a permission request form.

Can I get a CD with PDF files of a Curriculum, Parish Educational Resource or other OSV publication in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act?

OSV strives to meet the needs of all of its readers, teachers, catechists, and students. We will provide publications (books, textbooks, guides, etc.) in PDF format for those requiring our material in an accessible format. To request an accessible format, please complete and submit a permissions request form.

Can I get permission to make copies of material from an OSV publication?

It may be possible to make copies of some material from an OSV publication. Please see the permissions guidelines above for more information. 

Can I get permission to use material from an OSV publication in my parish bulletin?

OSV strives to meet the needs of all of its parishes. Please see the permission guidelines above for more information on what is permitted to reprint and repost in church bulletins. Many of our publications, like our pamphlets, contain multiple licensed images which may not be reprinted or republished. For any further questions, please complete and submit a permission request form.

Can I get permission to post material online from an OSV publication?

Depending on whether or not the material is licensed, OSV may be able to grant permission to post online portions of OSV publications. Please complete and submit a permissions request form for more information.

Can I get permission to make a DVD out of an OSV VHS videotape?

Following fair use guidelines, non-profit institutions like schools, libraries, and churches may be able to make one replacement DVD copy of a VHS videotape, but only if that particular video is not available for purchase in DVD form. For more information, please complete and submit a permissions request form.

Can I reprint or republish material from the Lifelong Catechesis, Catholic Wedding Help, Together In God’s Love or other OSV-related websites?

While it may be possible to reprint or republish some material from our websites, there are online materials (such as the images of the Saints on the Lifelong Catechesis site and the Rite of Marriage on the Catholic Wedding Help website) that are copyrighted and licensed from the copyright holders. Please complete and submit a permissions request form in order in inquire about the specific material you would like to reprint or republish.

Can I make copies of OSV material for use in my classroom?

Educators, catechists, and libraries are given many allowances for copying materials for in-classroom use (not for distribution) under fair use guidelines. You can read more here (paying particular attention to pages 6 and 7): Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians. For more information, please complete and submit a permissions request form.

Can I make multiple copies of pages from OSV workbooks?

Books such as the “Teach Me About” series, Joy, Joy the Mass, and other activity books are generally considered “consumables,” meaning that these are meant for a one-time use only and not to be copied multiple times for students. Some of our publications will specify particular pages that may be copied, such as the black line masters in the Allelu! Catechist guides and some of the booklets in the VBS programs. Please consult the publications for these notices. If you do not see a notification or have further questions, please complete and submit a permissions request form.