[Freesurfer] Re: Permission Request to Publish FreeSurfer MNI Template Rendering under CC BY

Hmmm, this looks kind of strange to me. People put images of the inflated brain in publications all the time. We certainly don't hold any copyright for the MNI (I don't think there is one). If we do hold a copyright on the atlas rendering, you certainly have permission to use it. Can you write up a statement that meets your criteria?

On 8/8/2025 4:23 AM, Matic Kadiš wrote:

External Email - Use Caution

Dear FreeSurfer Team,

I am a co-author on a manuscript currently in revision for /Scientific Reports/. One of our figures includes the attached image, which was generated in FreeSurfer (version 7.4.1) from the MNI152 template brain using the default Desikan–Killiany atlas, with the insula highlighted and inflated. The journal requires explicit written permission from the copyright holder to publish this image under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license in all formats (print and digital). Their requirements are:

  * The permission must be in English.
  * It must explicitly grant Springer Nature Limited permission to
    publish the image under a CC BY 4.0 open access license.
  * It must cover publication in all formats (print and digital).
 *
    It must be signed by the copyright holder.


Could you please confirm whether MGH / the FreeSurfer team holds
the copyright for the MNI template and atlas rendering, and if so,
provide a signed permission letter meeting these conditions? I am
happy to provide any additional details you need. Of course, a
different approach to how you usually handle requests like that is
also acceptable.

Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

Best regards,

Matic Kadiš

asist. Matic Kadiš, mag. psih.

Asistent | Assistant

Univerza v Mariboru | University of Maribor

*Filozofska fakulteta | Faculty of Arts*

*Oddelek za psihologijo | Department of Psychology* Koroška cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenija

E: matic.kadis1@um.si

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