Setting copy permissions for target data in a copy relationship

A method for copying data from a first storage to a second storage, comprising:

• performing a first copy operation to copy source data from the first storage to a first data copy in the second storage;
• receiving a request to perform a second copy operation to copy requested data from the first data copy in the second storage to a second data copy, wherein the requested data comprises the first data copy of the first copy operation;
• determining whether the requested first data copy is in a state that does not permit copying in response to receiving the request;
• performing the second copy operation to copy the requested first data copy form the second storage to a second data copy in response to determining that the requested first data copy is not in the state that does not permit the copying;
• and
• denying the request in response to determining that the requested first data copy is in the state that does not permit copying.