For copyright users

How to use copyright material

You can use copyright material without infringing copyright if you have permission from the copyright owner, or if your use is covered by one of the exceptions or statutory licences set out in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

You can also use material without getting permission if its copyright term has ended and it is no longer covered by copyright.

For more information about exceptions and copyright terms, go to Copyright basics.

How to get copyright permission

You will need to get copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Often copyright owners will give general permission for certain uses through an end user licensing agreement, so it is always worth checking whether your use is covered by an existing terms of use or open licence.

If no relevant licence applies to the material, you will need to contact the copyright owner for direct permission. If you cannot find a contact for the copyright owner, the material’s publisher or distributor may be able to help. For common uses of copyright material, you may be able to contact collecting societies instead to seek a licence.

You should seek written permission to use copyright material wherever possible, to avoid relying on oral statements that may be difficult to prove or enforce.

How collecting societies can help with permission

Copyright collecting societies can grant you permission for certain uses of copyright materials in their collection.

Collecting societies are authorised to collect license fees for uses of the copyright materials, which they redistribute to copyright owners.

The main collecting societies in Australia are:

How to access Australian Government copyright material

If you want to use Australian Government copyright material, it may be available under a Creative Commons licence. Australian Government agencies are required to release copyrighted public sector information under Creative Commons licences, or other open content licences, wherever possible. For more guidance on using Creative Commons and other licences, visit the Creative Commons website.

For other material, you may need to get permission from the agency that published it. If a department has ceased to exist, you should contact the successor department in the current government (usually the department with the most closely-related subject matter).

We do not coordinate or respond to copyright requests on behalf of other agencies. Individual Commonwealth entities are required to make their own decisions in response to copyright requests to use their own material. We suggest that you forward your request directly to the relevant department.