How Should Authors Address Copyright Issues before Submission of Manuscripts?

Archives of Plastic Surgery (APS), an official journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, publishes articles with many tables and figures, including illustrations , photos, videos, drawings of patients or surgical procedures. All clinical journals do the same. It is well-known that signing the Patient Photographic and Videographic Consent, Authorization and Release Form is mandatory before submitting a manuscript. This consent form is provided at the e-submission site for authors of APS. Most authors are familiar with collecting patients' consent forms; however, authors need to consider something else before submitting the form. They must determine whether there are any copyright issues due to using data from other journals or books in the authors' manuscript. This includes not only copying content exactly as it was originally printed, but also adapting or modifying previously published content. If the authors feel that previously published figures and tables are essential to their manuscript and should be copied, they must obtain permission from the original publisher. The instructions to authors of APS asserts that 'A letter of permission is required for any and all material that has been published previously. It is the responsibility of the author to request permission from the publisher for any material that is being reproduced. This requirement applies to text, illustrations, and tables.' From 1997 to 2009, 50% of all science papers were published by the top 8 commercial publishing companies [1]. Therefore, reading, and occasionally using data from, the journals of those 8 commercial publishing companies is inevitable. To cite the tables and figures from commercial journals, authors should visit the copyright clearance center of the original journal to inquire whether it is possible to cite the tables and figures in other journals or books. Sometimes, payment is necessary to use them. When the data has appeared in a commercial journal, it is not the editors or authors who permit the use of tables or figures but the publisher. This practice holds even if the tables or figures have been modified or adapted from the original data. Sometimes, drawings are included in the manuscript. To evade the copyright problem, it is best to draw an image that has been originally conceptualized by the authors. APS pays for professional illustration. Therefore, when authors want a new drawing, the editor can help them by introducing a professional medical illustrator. Authors should not hesitate to contact the editor to …