Rights & permissions
What we publish, what belongs to whom, and how to ask to use it.
The Wolfsbane Library publishes three kinds of books: classic works that have passed into the public domain, works we publish under exclusive licence from those who hold their rights, and new books made together with their authors. Every book’s page says which it is, and who holds the rights to its text.
We sell our books here, and through partner bookshops and marketplaces. What follows holds wherever you find them.
Classics in the public domain
When the copyright in a work expires, it passes into the public domain, and anyone may read, print and share it. We publish such works in editions of our own.
The text belongs to everyone; the edition is ours. Its cover art and design, its typesetting and layout, and any introduction, notes, illustrations or new translation are original work, protected by copyright and owned by The Wolfsbane Company or by the contributors credited on the book’s page. You are free to use a public domain text from any source, but please do not copy our editions of it.
Copyright lasts for different lengths of time in different countries, so a work can be in the public domain in one place and still protected in another. We only sell a book where we are entitled to: if a title is still protected in your country, it cannot be ordered for delivery there, and our partners are asked not to sell it there either.
Works under exclusive licence
Some of our books are published under an exclusive licence from their author, the author’s estate, or another publisher. Copyright in these works stays with the rights holder named on the book’s page. We hold the right to publish them in the formats and countries the licence covers, and nowhere else.
Books made with their authors
We also publish new work together with the people who wrote it. Unless a book’s page says otherwise, the author keeps the copyright in their text, and our agreement sets out exactly what we may publish, where, and for how long. Authors are always credited as the authors of their work.
Quoting and permissions
You are welcome to quote short passages from our books for review, criticism, study or comment, crediting the author, the book and The Wolfsbane Library, as the law allows. For anything more, such as reproducing an extract, an illustration or a cover, or translating or adapting a work, please write to us first. Where the decision belongs to an author or another rights holder, we will pass your request on to them.
Our name and our designs
The Wolfsbane Library name, our emblem and the designs of our books are ours. Please do not use them in a way that suggests a connection with us that does not exist.
Raising a rights concern
If you believe something we publish or sell infringes your rights, please write to us with the title, the rights you hold, and how we can reach you. We will look into it promptly and, where it is warranted, withdraw the title while we do.