Use this document as a guideline for creating your own oral history agreement. While this and many others like it have never been tested in court, it does show a "good faith effort" to gain copyright and to appraise the interviewee of the purposes of the interview.
ORAL HISTORY AGREEMENT--[put project name and date here]
I, ________[Interviewee], do hereby grant to ________[Interviewer]
copyright to all materials related to my oral history interview(s) including
tapes, transcripts, and any published material that may result from the
interview(s).
It is further agreed that a copy of any tapes will be made available
to me. At the time of the interview, I will identify any portions of the
interview requiring restrictions and specify the period and extent of such
restrictions. Those restrictions are to be noted at the bottom of this
page. I understand that unless otherwise indicated as part of the restrictions
below, ________[Interviewer] will donate the tapes of this interview
to an appropriate archives or repository to be made available at that time
to researchers under the use policy of that archives or collection and
the restrictions noted below.
I authorize ________[Interviewer] to edit, publish, and license
the use of my oral history interview and related materials in a manner
that he considers appropriate, though I understand that he will keep me
informed of his decisions and will notify me of any publications that may
result from his work on this project, and I waive any claim to royalties
that may be received as a consequence thereof.
Description of materials:
Tape recording of interview, done at ________________[City],
__________________[State].
We, by mutual consent, agree to abide by the terms of the Oral History
Agreement as written above.
_________________________
Interviewee
Date
_________________________
Interviewer
Date