Useful links
The following copyright information has been developed by the National and State Libraries of Australasia (NSLA) as an information guide for library users about copyright in library collections.
This information on copyright does not constitute legal advice. Rather it is intended to provide information and guidance on copyright and copying material in library collections. The client shall indemnify the Northern Territory Library against any action taken by the copyright owner(s) against Northern Territory Library arising in any way whatsoever from the publication of or use of materials by or on behalf of the client where the client has not sought copyright clearance.
Law
You can view the current version of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) on the Federal Register of Legislation website. The current version of the Copyright Act includes all changes made by amending legislation, such as the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000, the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Act 2000, the relevant parts of the US Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act 2004, the Copyright Amendment Act 2006 and the Copyright Amendment (Disability Access and Other Measures) Act 2017.
For an overview of the Copyright Act see Copyright Basics from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications .
The Australian Copyright Council has an excellent website that provides a range of information sheets. Topics include:
- Fair dealing — includes advice on exceptions which allow copying, under certain conditions, for research, study, criticism, review, parody, satire, reporting news or legal advice.
- Research or study — gives advice on the exception which allows copying, under certain conditions, for research or study, including the ‘10%’ rule and what is considered ‘fair’.
- Quotes and extracts: copyright obligations — provides advice on using quotes and extracts for purposes ranging from research or study to publication.
- Duration of Copyright.
- Artists — includes a list of formats which fall within the Copyright Act’s ‘artistic works’ category.
Collecting societies and other ways to find copyright owners
- Copyright Agency (CA) — pay for a licence to copy books, articles, essays and artwork.
- Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) — pay for a licence to copy, perform or broadcast music.
- Screenrights — educational institutions and government agencies can pay for a licence to copy or broadcast certain film, television and radio productions.
- Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) — pay for a licence to broadcast recorded music or perform it in public.
- Australian Publishers Association — find links to around 185 Australian publishers.
- Publishers Global — find publishers listed by country. It has links to publishers in around 55 countries, including links to around 420 Australian publishers.
- Firms Out of Business (FOB) — lists some of the international publishing firms, magazines, literary agencies and similar organisations that are no longer in existence.
- Writers Artists and Their Copyright Holders (WATCH) — a useful source for contact details of international writers.
- Australian Society of Authors — lists Australian authors with links to their individual web pages.
- Australian Cartoonists’ Association — a list of full members, many with links to their contact details.
- Australian Copyright Council provides an information sheet, ‘Government: Commonwealth, State & Territory, November 2014’, on ways to contact government agencies to get permission to copy their material.
Organisations with expertise in copyright and other intellectual property rights
- Arts Law Centre of Australia
- Australian Cartoonists' Association
- Australian Copyright Council
- Australian Digital Alliance
- Australian Libraries and Archives Copyright Coalition (ALCC)
- Australian Society of Authors
- Centre for Media and Communications Law, University of Melbourne
- Creative Commons Australia
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
- Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia
- IP Australia
- Resale Royalty Rights
- Writers Artists and their Copyright Holders