In a moment when publishers are trying to manage rising costs, the idea of passive revenue has particular appeal. New income streams usually require new formats, new partnerships, or additional internal resources. But occasionally, one appears that simply builds on content already sitting on a publisher’s list.

One such stream, widely used by academic and university presses but less visible within the trade publishing sector, is the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC).

I did not fully appreciate its potential at first. Earlier in my career, while working as a rights director at a nonfiction house, I was told that some of our more academic-leaning titles might perform well through CCC. The suggestion made sense. The platform is widely used by universities, and our more scholarly books seemed like a natural fit.

At the time, it was easier to upload the entire list than to curate a selection, so that is what I did.

What I did not expect was that our non-academic titles would generate meaningful revenue as well. That was the first indication that CCC serves a much broader ecosystem than many trade publishers assume.

When I later joined Blue Star Press, the mix of books looked very different from my previous job. It was largely made up of highly illustrated content for both adults and children, including craft books, cookbooks, and other nonfiction titles. Still, I created an account because why not.

Not long after, we received notice of a five-figure payment coming our way. Most of the income was non-title specific, but what stood out is that about $500 was attributed to one of our coloring books. It was not a title anyone would have identified as an obvious fit for permissions licensing, and that is precisely the point.

It challenges the assumption that only text-heavy or reference-driven books benefit from this type of use. In practice, any content that can be reused, whether visually or textually, can find an audience in this ecosystem.

Understanding How CCC Works

The Copyright Clearance Center is a nonprofit licensing organization that acts as a permissions clearinghouse. It enables organizations, from universities to corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits, to legally reuse copyrighted content. This reuse can take many forms.

A chapter may be included in a course pack, an excerpt shared in internal training materials, or content distributed within a company or research setting.

Instead of tracking down rights holders individually, users can obtain permissions and pay for them through a centralized system. CCC provides a structured way to find the copyright owner, secure the license, and ensure that the appropriate fees are paid.

For publishers, participation is straightforward. Titles are registered, metadata is uploaded, and permissions terms are defined. Rights holders retain full control over whether a title is available, what fees are charged, and whether permissions are handled automatically or require direct approval. These decisions can be made title by title.

Moving Beyond the ‘Academic Only’ Assumption

One of the most persistent misconceptions is that CCC is primarily academic. In reality, a significant portion of usage comes from corporate and professional environments. Companies use licensed content for internal education, research, and documentation. Nonprofits and government entities rely on it as well.

This means CCC captures a layer of content usage that sits largely outside traditional book sales and territorial rights deals. Much of this usage would otherwise go unlicensed.

Turning Existing Content Into Incremental Revenue

At a practical level, once titles are uploaded and terms are set, CCC manages the licensing transactions. Revenue is collected and distributed based on usage across its network. There is no need for active selling or negotiating individual permission requests, and very little ongoing administration is required.

CCC operates within a broader international framework of reproduction rights organizations, coordinated globally through entities such as the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations. These organizations exist in many countries and serve a similar function, enabling collective licensing and ensuring that rights holders are compensated for secondary uses of their work.

Like other collective licensing systems, CCC has occasionally been part of broader industry discussions, particularly around distribution models and administrative fees. These are not unique to CCC, but part of how rights organizations globally operate. What is notable is that there is little evidence that participation negatively impacts publishers’ core revenue streams. If anything, it captures value from uses that would otherwise go unrealized.

University and academic presses have long understood the value of permissions licensing. Trade publishers, particularly smaller ones, may be less familiar with it or may assume their lists are not a fit. In my experience, that assumption is often incorrect.

CCC does not replace traditional rights sales, nor does it require a shift in strategy. It simply adds another channel that generates incremental revenue, extends the life of backlist titles, and requires minimal effort to maintain.

In a business where new revenue often comes at a cost of time, investment, or complexity, that is not something to overlook.

Publishers can request more information about CCC solutions at copyright.com/landing/contact-rightsholders.

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