Copyright at MIT: Copyright Basics

Copyright grants exclusive rights to authors and creators of works, the copyright owners, to enable them to determine how their work can be used so their moral and economic interests are protected. 

This means that copyright may restrict:

• reproduction
• publication
• performance
• communication to the public
• adaptation of the work

You must obtain permission from the copyright owner to use material in the above ways. Generally, copyright lasts 70 years after the death of the creator of a work. However, copyright duration varies for different categories of material.

Australian Legislation

Copyright Act 1968

Categories protected by copyright include:

• Literary works - including books, newspaper articles, computer programs and compilations including anthologies and directories
• Dramatic works - including plays, dance and mime
• Musical works - including scores and combinations of melody and harmony
• Artistic works - including paintings, drawings, cartoons, photographs, sculpture and craft work
• Cinematograph films - including films, videos and TV programs
• Sound recordings - including compact discs, tapes and records
• Broadcasts - television programs and sound broadcasts
• Published editions - the way in which an individual edition of a work is presented, including typesetting etc.

Check the duration of copyright for different categories of material.

'Fair dealing' allows the use of text material without permission for the following purposes:

• research or study - 10% or one chapter/article
• criticism or review - must acknowledge the work
• parody or satire
• reporting news
• professional advice e.g. by a lawyer

(Australian Copyright Council Fair Dealing 2014)

Educational institutions also have special agreements with copyright owners to allow them to digitise and electronically communicate copyright material.

Some works may be copied under Creative Commons licence.

Find more information

The Australian Copyright Council provides advocacy, advice and information on copyright issues.

Fact sheets 

Research or Study Copyright