Copyright for students

Copyright for research or study

Under the Fair Dealing section of the Copyright Act individuals may copy materials for limited purposes, including research and study, criticism and review, and parody and satire.

Researchers and students may copy limited amounts of work for their own research and study needs including when

• Preparing an article, book chapter or conference presentation
• Copying for general reading / research current awareness
• Copying material for the process of conducting research, or preparing an assignment or thesis

The University has also entered into a number of licences which allow staff and students to copy from various media for study or research purposes. The following limits apply:

Photocopying

• 10% or one chapter of a book
• One article from any single issue of a journal. Additional articles may be copied if they are on the same specific topic.

Copying artworks

Artworks include maps, diagrams, charts, drawings, paintings, cartoons, prints, engravings, photographs, illustration

• An entire artwork may be copied if it is an 'incidental work'.  This means it explains or accompanies a text.
• If the artwork is not an 'incidental work' it may  be copied if you cannot find a separately published copy of the work 'within a reasonable time'.

Film, television and music

Students are generally not permitted to make copies of substantial portions of film, television or music under the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act. There are separate provisions in the Act allowing for some time and format shifting. See the Australian Copyright Council guides on music, films and video for more information.