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Date reviewed: 09/01/2004

Reproduction and Use of National Cancer Institute Materials

Most of the information products developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (such as brochures, books, and fact sheets) may be reproduced without permission from NCI. These products are in the “public domain.” They are not subject to copyright restrictions and you are free to reproduce them. However, some NCI materials are copyrighted and you need permission to reproduce them.

You Do Not Need Permission to:

  • Reproduce electronic and printed NCI products (in part or in their entirety) even if they contain copyrighted artwork, such as photos, graphics, and illustrations.

  • Translate text from NCI products into other languages. If you do translate NCI products, do not use the NCI, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), or PDQ® logos on your translations since NCI has not reviewed or approved your product.

  • Use the text from NCI products in your own materials. If you do use the text from NCI products, do not use the NCI, NIH, DHHS, or PDQ logos on items you develop since NCI did not approve them.

  • Link to NCI Web sites. If you wish to use materials from NCI Web sites, we strongly suggest linking directly to that information to be sure that you and your users have the most up-to-date version. However, do not use the link in a way that implies endorsement or sponsorship by NCI.

You Do Need Permission to:

  • Extract copyrighted artwork, which appears in NCI print and Web products, for use in your own products, programs, or activities. Artwork used in NCI materials may be copyrighted. Therefore, you must have the permission of the copyright holders to use these graphics, illustrations, or photographs for other purposes. In many cases, permission will be granted. However, a credit line and/or fee may be required. You must negotiate permission requests directly with the copyright holders.

To inquire about ownership of NCI materials or to obtain copyright holder contact information, write to:

Office of Communications
Communications Services Branch
National Cancer Institute
Room 3066
6116 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892

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Related Resources

Publications (available at http://www.cancer.gov/publications)

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Resources
Cancer Information Service (toll-free)
Telephone: 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237)
TTY: 1–800–332–8615

Online
NCI's Web site: http://www.cancer.gov/
LiveHelp, NCI's live online assistance: https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/livehelp/welcome.asp