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Do You Need Copyright Approval for Figures?
Start with the licence, not the journal. The table sets out what each publisher states for the five situations authors meet most.
| Your situation | What the sources state |
|---|---|
| Article is CC BY | You may copy, redistribute and adapt, even commercially, with appropriate credit, a link to the licence and a note of changes.1 Elsevier says written permission may not be required, subject to acknowledgement.2 |
| Another Creative Commons licence | Elsevier says permissions vary by licence type.2 Springer Nature says CC BY-NC or ND variants may need permission for commercial republication or derivative works.3 |
| Figure from a subscription article | Elsevier says permission should be sought from the rights holder to reproduce any substantial part of a copyrighted work, figures included.2 Wiley says you must have permission from the copyright holder for material you do not own.4 |
| Figure built from raw data, or a redraw | Elsevier’s permissions page says an original figure or table created from data or factual information not previously in figure or table format typically does not require permission, subject to acknowledging the data source. Its FAQ on redrawing says a redrawn figure substantially similar to the original should have permission, and a simple colour change or change of axis labels is never sufficient.2 |
| Your own published figure | Elsevier states authors may re-use their own figures, tables and images in new works, including a thesis or dissertation.6 Wiley makes you responsible for written permission from the original publisher for previously published material.4 |
Citing the source is a separate duty from holding a licence. Elsevier says CC BY reuse is subject to proper acknowledgement, Wiley asks for full acknowledgement of the source, and CC BY itself requires credit.2,4,1
How Elsevier, Wiley and Springer Nature Process Figure Requests
All three route requests through RightsLink, the Copyright Clearance Center service. The entry point differs, so start from the article page.
| Publisher | Where to start | What the publisher states |
|---|---|---|
| Elsevier | Get rights and content, under the author details on ScienceDirect | Choose how you will reuse the content, create an account and accept the terms. An account does not necessarily mean a fee, and quick price shows whether one applies.2 |
| Wiley | The RightsLink link on each journal’s website | Requests to reuse Wiley journal content go through a RightsLink facility linked from each journal site.4 |
| Springer Nature | Reprints and Permissions at the end of the article or chapter | Permissions are per article or chapter. A separate RightsLink account is needed to receive a licence even when no fee applies. High-resolution files are not provided for Springer-branded journals, but may be available for select Nature-branded publications by answering yes to the high-resolution field in RightsLink.3 |
The price depends on your use, so read the quick price RightsLink returns for your request. Wiley and Springer Nature state no turnaround time on the pages cited.4,3 Elsevier’s permissions FAQ, written for book authors, advises allowing a minimum of six to eight weeks, if not longer, to obtain permission for all items.2 For Science and other AAAS journals, follow the permissions page of the journal concerned.
The STM Gratis Limit: Free Reuse of Three Figures
The STM Permission Guidelines are voluntary and reciprocal among signatory publishers. Elsevier, Wiley and Springer Nature each say they follow them.7,4,3 The limits for a journal article are below.8,7
| Item | Gratis limit (journal article) |
|---|---|
| Figures, tables or images | 3 from works published by a single signatory |
| Text from one article or chapter | 400 words |
| Text from one book or journal issue | 800 words |
| Conditions | Subject to the individual publisher’s formal approval where required; requests above the limits may be granted with fees and limited rights |
The guidelines apply to content being republished by another signatory in a journal article or book. They do not tell you that an author’s thesis or personal website is covered, so check the publisher’s page and the signatory list on STM’s site before relying on the limit.8 Springer Nature says to request through RightsLink and choose Publisher as the requestor type.3
A Real Dataset: Which Licences Do Open Access Journals Offer?
The licence on the article is what you check first, so we counted what open access journals list. On 30 October 2026 the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) held 23,674 journals. We queried its public API for each Creative Commons licence and computed the shares in R.5 The counts are journal-level: a journal that lists several licences is counted under each licence in the second figure, and once in the first.
Four in ten journals list only CC BY, and a similar share list only NC or ND licences. For an author that is the whole problem: an open access label does not tell you whether you can redraw, adapt or republish a figure. The terms below come from Creative Commons.
| Licence | What it allows for a figure |
|---|---|
| CC BY | Share and adapt, even commercially, with credit, a link to the licence and a note of changes.1 |
| CC BY-SA | As CC BY, but what you build on it must carry the same licence.9 |
| CC BY-NC | Share and adapt, but not for commercial purposes.10 |
| CC BY-NC-ND | No commercial use, and a modified version may not be distributed.11 |
What this shows: CC BY is the most common single licence among open access journals, and a large minority restrict commercial use or adaptation. What it does not show: the licence of any one article, which can differ from the journal’s list, or how many figures are reused. Read the licence on the article itself.
Steps to Get Approval for One Figure
- 1Read the licence on the article. If it is CC BY, credit the source, link the licence and note any change. No request is needed.
- 2Decide whether you need the original. Elsevier says a figure built from data not previously in figure form typically needs no permission when the data source is acknowledged. For a redraw, it advises permission wherever there is any similarity to the original.
- 3Open the publisher’s permission link. Use Get rights and content, Reprints and Permissions, or the journal’s RightsLink link.
- 4Choose the reuse type that matches your use. Check the quick price before you commit, and pick the category for a thesis, article or other use as it applies.
- 5Keep the licence with your files. Keep it in case a journal or institution asks for proof of permission.
Mistakes That Delay a Request
- Treating open access as reusable. The licence decides reuse, and 39.1% of DOAJ journals list only NC or ND licences.
- Asking the wrong rights holder. Elsevier’s FAQ says that where a credit line names another rights holder, you must obtain permission from that rights holder directly.2
- Assuming your own figure is free. Elsevier and Wiley word author reuse differently,6,4 so check the agreement for that paper.
- Starting at the last minute. Elsevier’s permissions FAQ, written for book authors, advises allowing a minimum of six to eight weeks, if not longer,2 so start well before your submission deadline.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need permission to reuse a figure from a CC BY article?
Not usually. Under CC BY 4.0 you may copy, redistribute and adapt the material, even commercially, if you give appropriate credit, link to the licence and say if you made changes. Elsevier states that CC BY content may not require written permission, subject to proper acknowledgement. Check the licence printed on the article, because other licences differ.
How do I request permission for a figure from Elsevier?
On ScienceDirect, click Get rights and content under the author details, choose how you will reuse the content, create an account and accept the terms. Elsevier says an account does not necessarily mean a fee, and the quick price button shows whether one applies.
How do I request permission for a figure from Springer Nature?
Use the Reprints and Permissions link at the end of the article or chapter, which opens RightsLink. Springer Nature says permissions are per article or chapter, and that you need a separate RightsLink account to receive a licence even when no fee applies. If your use is not listed, choose the option for an intended reuse that you do not see.
How do I request permission for a figure from Wiley?
Wiley says you must have permission from the copyright holder for material you do not own, and that requests to reuse Wiley journal content go through a RightsLink facility linked from each journal’s website. Acknowledge the source in full.
What is the STM gratis limit for figures?
The 2024 STM Permission Guidelines let a signatory publisher reuse, free of charge, a maximum of 3 figures, tables or images from works by a single signatory in a journal article, with up to 400 words from an article or chapter and 800 words from a book or issue. It is subject to the individual publisher’s approval where required, and does not cover requests above those limits.
Can I reuse a figure from my own published paper?
It depends on the agreement you signed. Elsevier’s authors’ rights table lists re-use of their own figures, tables and images in new works, and inclusion of the article in a thesis or dissertation, as allowed without permission. Wiley says that for material you previously published you are responsible for written permission from the original publisher. Read the agreement for the paper in question.
Do I need permission to redraw a figure?
It depends on the publisher. Elsevier’s permissions page says an original figure or table created from data or factual information not previously in figure or table format typically does not require permission, subject to acknowledging the data source. Its FAQ says a redrawn figure substantially similar to the original should have permission, a simple colour change or change of axis labels is never sufficient, and that this is often a judgment call: best practice is to obtain permission where there is any similarity between the original and redrawn figures. Other publishers set their own rules, so check the one that owns the figure.
Is an open access article always free to reuse?
No. Open access describes who can read the article, while the licence decides what you can do with it. Elsevier notes that permissions vary by licence type. In the DOAJ data above, 39.1% of journals list only licences with NC or ND terms, which limit commercial use or adaptation.
References
- Creative Commons. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) deed. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- Elsevier. Permissions: requesting permission to reuse Elsevier content (RightsLink, Get rights and content, STM guidelines). www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/copyright/permissions
- Springer Nature. Rights, permissions and third party distribution (RightsLink, open access reuse, STM guidelines). www.springernature.com/gp/partners/rights-permissions-third-party-distribution
- Wiley Author Services. Obtaining Permission to Reproduce Material. authors.wiley.com/author-resources/Journal-Authors/Prepare/permissions-material.html
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Public API, search endpoint for journals (https://doaj.org/api/search/journals). Counts queried 30 October 2026 and shares computed by Editverse in R. doaj.org/docs/api/
- Elsevier. Copyright: rights that authors retain, including re-use of their own figures, tables and images and inclusion in a thesis or dissertation. www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/copyright
- Elsevier Support Center. What is the STM guideline? www.elsevier.support/elsevier/answer/what-is-the-stm-guideline
- STM Association. 2024 Permission Guidelines (updated 26 June 2024). stm-assoc.org/what-we-do/core-services/ip-copyright/permissions/permissions-guidelines/2024-permission-guidelines-updated-26-june-2024/
- Creative Commons. Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) deed. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
- Creative Commons. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) deed. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
- Creative Commons. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) deed. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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Editverse Research Team | Updated October 2026