Copyright Policy

The Journal of Design Service and Social Innovation (JDSSI) is committed to protecting the intellectual property rights of auathors while promoting the widest possible dissemination of research through open access. This policy outlines copyright ownership, author rights, and the terms under which articles are published.

Authors submitting manuscripts to JDSSI are required to agree to the following copyright terms as part of the submission process:

Copyright Ownership

Authors Retain Copyright

Unlike traditional publishing models where copyright is transferred to the publisher, JDSSI operates on a copyright retention model:

• Full ownership: Authors maintain complete copyright ownership of their work
• No transfer: Copyright is never transferred to JDSSI or MSPL
• Perpetual rights: Authors' copyright lasts for the duration of copyright protection under applicable law
• All versions: Copyright applies to all versions (submitted, accepted, published)

What JDSSI Receives

Authors grant JDSSI limited, non-exclusive rights:

• Right of first publication: JDSSI publishes the work first
• Non-exclusive license: License to publish and distribute under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
• Archiving rights: Right to preserve and archive the work indefinitely
• Distribution rights: Right to distribute through indexing services and databases
• Format conversion: Right to convert to different formats (PDF, HTML, XML) for publication

These are non-exclusive rights – authors retain all other rights and can grant similar rights to others.

License Terms - CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

What This Means for Authors

• Attribution (BY): Others must give appropriate credit when using your work
• NonCommercial (NC): Others cannot use your work for commercial purposes without your permission
• NoDerivatives (ND): Others cannot create derivative works without your permission
• Protection: Your work is protected from unauthorized commercial use or modification

What This Means for Readers

• Free to read, download, and share articles
• Must provide attribution to authors
• Cannot use for commercial purposes
• Cannot modify or create derivative works

See the Licensing Policy for complete details on the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.

Author Rights and Reuse

What Authors Can Do With Their Published Work

As copyright holders, authors have extensive rights to reuse their work:

• Self-archiving: Post any version (preprint, accepted manuscript, published version) in repositories immediately
• Personal use: Use in teaching, presentations, and courses
• Republication: Include in dissertations, theses, books, or book chapters
• Derivative works: Create translations, adaptations, or updates of your own work
• Commercial use: Use your own work commercially (e.g., in consulting, commercial publications)
• Grant permissions: Allow others to translate, adapt, or use commercially on a case-by-case basis
• Future publications: Reuse content in future academic papers with proper self-citation

Best practice: When reusing your work, cite the original JDSSI publication to establish the scholarly record.

No Permission Required

Authors do NOT need to request permission from JDSSI to:

• Reuse their own published work
• Post on personal or institutional websites
• Include in future publications
• Share with colleagues or students
• Use for any purpose consistent with copyright ownership

Third-Party Content and Permissions

Author Responsibility for Third-Party Materials

If your manuscript includes materials from other sources (figures, tables, images, long quotes), you must:

• Obtain permissions: Get written permission from copyright holders before submission
• Provide documentation: Submit permission letters or licenses with your manuscript
• Proper attribution: Credit the original source in captions or text
• Include copyright notices: Use format like "Reprinted with permission from [Author/Source]"

Third-Party Materials in Published Articles

When articles contain third-party materials:

• Those materials retain their original copyright
• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license applies only to authors' original content
• Readers must obtain separate permission to reuse third-party materials
• Third-party materials are clearly identified in captions/attributions

Originality and Plagiarism

Requirements for Original Work

Authors must ensure their work is original:

• No prior publication: Work must not have been published elsewhere (except as preprint or conference abstract with disclosure)
• No simultaneous submission: Cannot be under consideration at another journal
• Proper attribution: All sources properly cited
• Original authorship: Authors are the original creators of the work

Self-Plagiarism

Authors must avoid self-plagiarism:

• Disclose prior work: Inform editors if manuscript contains material from previous publications
• Cite yourself: Self-citation required when building on prior work
• Obtain permissions: May need permission from previous publisher to reuse substantial portions
• Add new contribution: Work must provide significant new insights, not just republish old material

See the Plagiarism Policy for complete details.

Copyright Infringement

If You Believe Your Copyright Has Been Infringed

If you believe an article published in JDSSI infringes your copyright:

1. Contact us immediately at: jdssi-editor@michelangelo-scholar.com
2. Provide detailed information:
   • Your contact information and proof of copyright ownership
   • Identification of the copyrighted work
   • Identification of the infringing material in JDSSI
   • Evidence of infringement
3. We will investigate promptly according to COPE guidelines
4. Appropriate action will be taken (correction, retraction, etc.)

If Someone Claims You Have Infringed Copyright

If someone claims your published article infringes their copyright:

• We will notify you of the claim
• You will have opportunity to respond and provide evidence
• Investigation will follow COPE procedures
• Resolution may include correction, retraction, or legal action

Copyright for Different Article Components

Text

• Authors hold copyright to all original text
• Quotes from other sources must be properly attributed
• Extensive quotes require permission

Figures and Images

• Author-created: Authors hold copyright; credit as "Created by authors" or "Authors' own work"
• Modified from others: Requires permission; credit as "Adapted from [Source]"
• Reproduced from others: Requires permission; credit as "Reprinted from [Source]"
• Public domain: No permission needed but should credit source

Tables and Data

• Original tables created by authors: Authors hold copyright
• Data from other sources: Must cite original source
• Tables reproduced or adapted: Requires permission and attribution

Supplementary Materials

• Same copyright and license terms as main article
• Published under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
• Authors retain copyright

Copyright Duration

Copyright protection duration depends on jurisdiction:

• General rule: Life of author plus 50-70 years (varies by country)
• Work for hire: May have different duration
• Multiple authors: Based on last surviving author

Even after copyright expires, moral rights (attribution, integrity) may persist in some jurisdictions.

Moral Rights

In addition to copyright, authors have moral rights including:

• Right of attribution: Right to be identified as author
• Right of integrity: Right to object to derogatory treatment of work
• Right to object to false attribution: Protection from being named as author of work they didn't create

JDSSI respects authors' moral rights by:

• Always attributing work to authors
• Not modifying work without author approval
• Maintaining integrity of published work
• Correcting attribution errors promptly

Copyright Transfer Is Not Required

JDSSI does NOT require copyright transfer:

• No copyright transfer agreement to sign
• Authors never assign or transfer copyright to JDSSI or MSPL
• Simple license agreement, not ownership transfer
• Authors maintain all rights as copyright owners

This differs from many traditional journals that require full copyright transfer.

Special Circumstances

Work Made for Hire

If work was created as part of employment (work for hire):

• Employer may own copyright, not individual authors
• Authors must have employer permission to publish
• Authors must disclose work-for-hire status
• Employer's copyright terms apply

Government Works

Works by government employees may:

• Be in public domain in some jurisdictions (e.g., U.S. federal government works)
• Have special copyright terms
• Require disclosure of government authorship

Funded Research

Research funded by grants may have requirements about:

• Open access publication
• License terms (some funders require CC BY instead of CC BY-NC-ND)
• Data sharing
• Acknowledgment of funding

Authors must ensure JDSSI's policies comply with their funder requirements.

Questions and Support

For questions about copyright, permissions, or licensing:

For license interpretation or JDSSI policies:
Email: jdssi@michelangelo-scholar.com
Tel: +86 186 1235 9672

For author permissions (translations, commercial use, derivatives):
Contact the corresponding author directly using the email address provided in the published article

For copyright infringement concerns:
Email: mspl@michelangelo-scholar.com
Tel: +852-66761250

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JDSSI's copyright policy is designed to protect author rights while promoting the widest possible dissemination of research through open access. By retaining copyright and licensing under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, authors maintain control of their work while making it freely accessible to the global academic community.

Related Policies:

• Licensing Policy - CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 details
• Open Access Policy - Free access commitment
• Plagiarism Policy - Originality requirements
• Ethical Principles and Publication Policy - Author responsibilities