Copyright Basics
Copyright is the exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc.:
Works granted such right by law on or after January 1, 1978, are protected for the lifetime of the author or creator and for a period of 70 years after his or her death.
Moral rights are rights provided to creators under copyright law in order to protect both their reputation and the integrity of their work.
In Australia, moral rights were introduced in December 2000 through the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000. This legislation provides creators with three rights. They are:
- the right of attribution of authorship;
- the right not to have authorship of their work falsely attributed; and
- the right of integrity of authorship. This protects creators from their work being used in a derogatory way that may negatively impact on their character or reputation.
Key Organisations and Websites
- Australian Copyright Council This link opens in a new windowThe Australian Copyright Council is an independent, non-profit organisation. They represent the peak bodies for professional artists and content creators working in Australia’s creative industries and Australia’s major copyright collecting societies.
- Screenrights This link opens in a new windowScreenrights is a not-for-profit membership organisation that provides rights and royalty management services to the screen industry. They facilitate access to screen content through simple licensing for teachers, government administrators and home viewers with subscription TV.
- Australian Government - Law Reform Commission - Copyright & the Digital Economy This link opens in a new windowThe ALRC was asked to consider whether exceptions and statutory licences in the Copyright Act 1968 are adequate and appropriate in the digital environment and whether further exceptions should be recommended.
