From IEEE PSPB Operations Manual

A. General Principles

In order to maximize the value of IEEE publications to authors, users and the Institute, IEEE copyright policies and procedures shall be guided by the following general principles:

1. Enhancing the accessibility, distribution and use of information is a major objective of the IEEE publication program, limited only by the requirements of viability and professional propriety.
2. To meet this objective and control the use of its good name, the IEEE is obligated to secure copyright ownership of the material it publishes.
3. In exercising its rights under copyright, the IEEE recognizes that it is acting in part to serve and protect the interests of its authors and their employers.
4. Authors and their employers are entitled to maximum freedom to reuse their material with minimum restriction.
5. Fees for the reuse of IEEE material are appropriate for contributing to the cost of original publication, especially where the reuse involves a license to copy, or allows resale, or is of a magnitude that would tend to reduce subscription or other sales income.
6. Copyright policies shall be consistently applied throughout the Institute.

B. Ownership and Rights

1. Copyright is held by the Institute itself and not any of its organizational units.
2. All technical, educational and professional publications of the Institute, except newsletters, but including Society and Technical Council Newsletters, are required to be copyrighted by the IEEE.
3. Prior to publication by the IEEE, all authors or their employers shall transfer to the IEEE in writing any copyright they hold for their individual papers. Such transfer shall be a necessary requirement for publication, except for material in the public domain or which is reprinted from a copyrighted publication.
4. In return for the transfer of authors' rights, the IEEE shall grant authors and their employers permission to make copies and otherwise reuse the material under terms approved by the Board of Directors.
5. In the case of jointly sponsored conferences, IEEE recognizes the right of another qualified sponsor to hold the copyright and administer all copyright matters on behalf of the IEEE and its author, provided, however, that such right shall be the subject of a written agreement between IEEE and the qualified sponsor. Except in the case of a conference which is incorporated and maintains its own permanent administrative office, a conference is not considered a sponsor and may not hold a copyright to IEEE material.
6. Licenses and permissions to copy or republish IEEE material may be granted under terms approved by the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board.

C. Implementation

1. The Copyrights and Permissions Department is responsible for the administration of all IEEE copyright matters under policies and procedures approved by the Publication Services and Products Board. This includes obtaining the copyright registration, handling reprint and republication requests, maintaining copyright records, and administering fees when appropriate. The Copyrights and Permissions Department may, at its discretion, delegate some or all of its copyright implementation responsibilities to other IEEE departments if they have significant publishing activity, subject to procedures approved by the Staff Executive, Publications.
2. The journal editor or conference publication committee chair shall be responsible for obtaining the written transfer of author rights and for forwarding appropriate confirmations to the Copyrights and Permissions Department. The wording to be used on the form for effecting the interchange of rights with the author per Sections B(3) and B(4) above shall be supplied by or approved by the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board or its authorized representative.
3. For journals and conference publications, an appropriate copyright notice shall appear on the first page of each technical contribution to simplify and facilitate reuse of individual articles.
4. Should the need for isolated exceptions to any of the above policies and procedures arise, the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board or its authorized representative is authorized to deal with them on a case-by-case basis.