The University of Canberra, and all staff and students of the University, are bound by the equirements of the Copyright Act 1968. 

Copyright is based on the premise that creative and intellectual effort should be encouraged, protected and rewarded. Copyright legislation offers protection to how an idea or information is presented but also balances the rights of a copyright owner with the needs of other parties to consult, use and quote material created and owned by others. Copyright is a concept of some significance in universities. A large number of "creators" (ie authors) of material while, on the other hand, teachers and students are consumers of the works of others for the purposes of study and research .

Information on your rights and responsibilities in relation to copyright is contained in the Copyright Guide. The Guide contains details of the protections offered by copyright legislation but also details the circumstances when you can use material created by others. The University requires each member of staff to make himself or herself familiar with copyright requirements pertaining to the performance of his or her duties as a member of staff of the University, and to comply with the guidelines and procedures issued from time to time. The information available from this site is intended to help staff understand their obligations and to meet these requirements. Similarly, all students are required to comply with the provisions of copyright legislation and failure to do so may compromise academic progress in the university.

It is important to realise that copyright covers a wide range of material - printed, electronic, audiovisual - and the act of reproducing and using such material. In the case of material in electronic form it also covers the act of communicating such material.

Copyright Officer

Copyright in the University is administered by a Copyright Officer. Questions concerning rights and obligations in relation to copyright should be directed to the Copyright Officer.

The Copyright Officer is also the officer to receive notification of alleged breaches of the Copyright Act or licences and details of 'take-down' notices.

 The Copyright Officer is Gregory Jones. (Deputy Director, Division of Learning and Teaching.) (Telephone: 02 - 62012051) (E-mail: greg.jones@canberra.edu.au)

Licences and agreements

The University is party to a number of statutory licences and agreement which facilities the use of copyright material by members of the University. Details of such licences and agreements are contained in the Copyright Guide. The licences and agreements are administered by the Copyright Officer.

The University pays a significant amount per year to collecting agencies to take advantage of the copying opportunities available through the licences and agreements. The agencies use these funds to provide remuneration to authors and copyright owners for the use of their material. The University participates in regular sampling exercises to assist in determining the overall level of remuneration and the details of the copyright owners to be remunerated.

On-line Resources Register

The University has policy and procedures for making teaching and learning materials available to students of the University electronically in the context of limitations imposed by the Copyright Act 1968 and an agreement between the University and the Copyright Agency Limited concerning such copyright materials. The primary mechanism for ensuring the obligations in this context is the University's On-line Resources Register.

All staff making material available to students in an electronic medium must use the Register. Details are available at On-line Resources Register.

Notices

The Copyright Act 1968 requires notices to be displayed on or near some machines which may be used to reproduce works. This requirement covers machines installed in libraries and archives or machines installed outside these facilities but made available primarily for the use of clients of the library and/or archive. (Sections 39A and 104B of the Act.) In the University these requirements would also apply to resource centres. Details are available in the section headed Notices.

 Links

Useful material concerning copyright and licences and agreements may be accessed at the following sites:

• AVCC copyright site
• Australian Copyright Council
• Copyright Agency Limited
• Screenrights