Manuscripts

WEF policy is to require a manuscript for all speakers and alternates for Specialty Conferences. (Exceptions from the manuscript requirement are the WEF Forum and Innovations in Process Engineering due to the nature of these events.) Please check the speaker packet you received when your abstract was accepted to ensure this requirement applies to you.

Manuscripts will be compiled into the Conference Proceedings that are provided to all attendees of the conference. We have created specific guidelines on how the manuscript should look. You can find them below.

MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES

Here is a sample manuscript that brings all of these guidelines together.

License Agreements and Common Questions

All manuscript authors and co-authors must sign the license agreement associated with their event. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding these agreements.

Note that the answers below do not constitute legal advice. Authors who need or desire legal advice should consult an attorney. For more information regarding copyrights, authors may also visit the U.S. Copyright Office website.

Q: Do I still own the copyright in my paper, presentation, or other materials even though I am presenting at a WEF Specialty Conference?
Yes, you still own the copyright(s). WEF, however, receives from you (via your applicable license agreement) certain non-exclusive license rights that also permit WEF to use your paper or Workshop materials in ways set forth in the applicable agreement.

Also, for papers only, WEF’s license right is exclusive for 1 year, which means that even though you own the copyright, you cannot publish or distribute your paper elsewhere within 1 year of your WEF Specialty Conference. Even during this 1-year period, however, you may “present” (speak) at other conferences regarding your paper topic, and you may continue internal (within your organization) distribution of copies of your paper for private, noncommercial purposes (such as, posting on a company internally-accessible intranet, but not attempting to publish or sell, or provide it to customers unless you have otherwise received express permission from WEF). Please refer to your specific license agreement for details regarding your rights or contact the respective conference email if you have questions. 

Q: May I provide copies of my paper, PowerPoint, or workshop materials to my customers or others outside my company?
Yes, your agreement(s) with WEF does not prohibit you from distributing the materials you have developed EXCEPT for WEF’s 1 year period of exclusivity regarding the paper. In addition, you may remain subject to any agreements you have with third parties, and subject to any rights they may have. If you wish to provide copies of your paper to (external) third parties such as customers prior to the FOLLOWING YEAR’S Conference (that is, if you are presenting at XYZ Conference 2019, that would be XYZ 2020), please contact WEF at the respective conference email address and explain your request. We will strive to grant reasonable requests. 

Q: May I publish my paper in other journals?
You may publish your paper elsewhere after WEF’s 1-year period of exclusivity has expired - that is, at the time of the following year’s conference. Please refer to your applicable license agreement. This period of exclusivity is intended to ensure that WEF maintains the ability to be the first publisher of your paper. 

Q: Do I need permission from my employer for any of the activities related to presenting or publishing at a Specialty Conference?
You are responsible for determining any rights and permissions needed from your employer (or former employer). Please be aware that, under United States copyright law, in some circumstances, an employer is deemed the Author and Owner of a copyrighted work created by an employee, such as an employee’s paper, presentation, or video. Such work is referred to as “work made for hire.” See 17 U.S.C. 101 and 17 U.S.C. 201 for further information.

Under your license agreement, you or your employer (as applicable) represent that you have obtained all rights needed to license your paper, presentation, video, or other works to WEF as outlined in the agreement. The information provided by WEF is not legal advice, and you are encouraged to consult your own lawyer or your company’s lawyer if you have any questions.

Q: I am a government employee, and believe my paper or presentation is in the public domain as a result of my government employment. Do I still need to sign an author or presenter agreement for the conference?
Yes. There is a clause in all WEF license agreements accounting for the possibility that a work is a government work, and if you determine that any of your materials fall into that category, you will indicate so on the agreement.

YOU are responsible for making this determination, and you are encouraged to consult your organization’s lawyer in doing so. The federal copyright statute specifies that a “work of the United States government” (17 U.S.C. 105) is not subject to federal copyright protection, but making such a determination sometimes is not simple and there are exceptions (works produced by the U.S. Postal Service, for example, are subject to copyright).

Works produced by government contractors are subject to copyright, and ownership may depend on the terms of the contract. Works produced by state and local municipalities may be protected by copyright, but states and local municipalities may have further applicable rules (some states, for example, place such works in the public domain). In short, if you believe your work may be in the public domain or owned by a government entity, you are responsible for consulting with your attorney to make that determination. 

Q: Will WEF register the copyright for my paper?
It is the author’s responsibility to register the copyright in their particular work, if desired; and WEF makes no promise to do so. WEF may at its discretion, however, register copyright in WEF’s compilation or collection of a conference's works (such as, conference proceedings including all papers for a particular conference). Such registration does not replace a copyright registered by the author in an individual work. Please consult your lawyer for information regarding the benefits of copyright registration.