At Indic Digital Archive Foundation, we always strive to ensure that materials hosted on our archive comply with applicable copyright laws. If you believe that any content on this platform infringes your rights under copyright law, please notify us immediately by sending the following details by email to [email protected] 

 

Your name:

Email ID:

Contact number:

Description of the copyrighted work :

(Title, author, any other information helpful in identifying the copyright status of the concerned work and your copyright ownership over the concerned materials):

Exact URL(s) of the material in question:

As a lawful and ethical archive working towards open access to knowledge, we assure you that we will promptly review the requests and address all genuine concerns.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions Related to Copyright

1. I found a book or article on Granthappura. Can I republish it?

It depends on the copyright status of the work.

If the work is in the public domain, you may republish it without obtaining any permission.

If the work is not in public domain, you should contact the original author or their legal heirs and obtain the necessary permissions before republication. IDAF does not grant republication rights for any works hosted on Granthappura.

2. Why do authors and legal heirs’ approach Granthappura to preserve their works?

Many authors and their family members wish to ensure that their literary and cultural legacy is preserved for future generations.
In many cases, authors themselves, or their children, grandchildren, other relatives, or admirers approach Granthappura seeking to digitally preserve books, articles, manuscripts, photographs, audio recordings, and other materials created by them or their ancestors. Granthappura welcomes such preservation efforts because an important part of our mission is to safeguard Kerala's documentary heritage and make it accessible to researchers and the public, subject to applicable laws and permissions.

However, digital preservation should not be confused with ownership of copyright or republication rights. The fact that an author or legal heir has contributed materials to Granthappura does not by itself establish who currently owns the copyright or republication rights to those works.
Anyone intending to republish, translate, commercially exploit, or otherwise reuse copyrighted materials should independently verify the copyright status and obtain any necessary permissions from the appropriate rights holders.

3. Does IDAF verify that contributors possess all necessary rights before accepting materials?

Contributors to Granthappura agree to make materials available under specified terms and are responsible for ensuring that they possess the authority to grant those permissions.

However, in many cases authors or their legal heirs may have entered into publishing agreements over several decades, and the terms of those agreements may not be readily available or known to us.

IDAF and Granthappura do not undertake legal verification of historical publishing contracts, copyright assignments, or other agreements submitted by contributors.

4. Does the presence of a work on Granthappura mean that it is free to republish?

The availability of a work on Granthappura does not automatically imply that it is in the public domain or free for republication or commercial use.

Anyone intending to republish, translate, commercially exploit, or otherwise reuse any work should independently verify the copyright status and obtain any necessary permissions from the appropriate rights holders.

5. Can IDAF confirm who currently owns the copyright to a work?

IDAF does not investigate or certify the current ownership of copyright or republication rights for works hosted on Granthappura. Questions regarding copyright ownership, publishing rights, or republication rights should be addressed directly to the original author, their legal heirs, or any publisher who may hold such rights.

6. Can IDAF help me obtain permission from the author, heirs, or publisher?

IDAF's primary mission is digital preservation and public access to cultural heritage materials. We do not act as an intermediary for copyright clearance, rights negotiation, or republication permissions.

Users seeking to republish copyrighted materials are responsible for contacting the relevant rights holders directly.

7. I am a publisher and want to republish the translation of a work available on Granthappura. What should I do?

You should contact the original author or their legal heirs and independently verify who currently holds the copyright or republication rights.
The fact that a work is hosted on Granthappura, should not be treated as conclusive evidence regarding republication rights.
IDAF cannot advise on, certify, or guarantee the copyright status of such works.

8. Why doesn't IDAF provide copyright clearance?

IDAF is a non-profit organization focused on digital preservation and public access.

Given the large number of works preserved by Granthappura and the complexity of publishing agreements executed over many decades, it is not feasible for IDAF to investigate or certify the copyright status of every work.
Responsibility for copyright due diligence and republication permissions rests with the person or organization intending to reuse the material.

9. What is IDAF's role with respect to copyright?

IDAF's role is to preserve and provide access to cultural materials through Granthappura.

IDAF is not a copyright clearance agency, does not provide legal opinions regarding copyright ownership, and does not guarantee that contributors hold all rights that may be required for republication.

Persons wishing to reuse copyrighted materials should conduct their own due diligence and obtain permissions from the relevant rights holders.