Subject guides: Copyright @ CDU: What is copyright?

What is Copyright?

Copyright is the protection of original literary and artistic works and other subject matter and is covered in Australia by the Copyright Act. The legislation affords creators of works certain rights, but balances these rights against the need for other people to access and use the works. Copyright protection is free and automatic; there is no registration process, and no requirement to publish or have the copyright symbol attached. Also note that copyrights are transferrable, eg when an author of an article wishes to publish in a particular journal, they would normally be required to sign over their copyright in that article to the journal publisher.

What does copyright protect?

Artistic works such as paintings, drawings, cartoons, graphic arts, craft work, photographs, maps and plans
Broadcasts of television and radio programs
Compilations such as anthologies, directories, and databases
Computer programs
Dramatic works such as choreography, screenplays, plays and mime
Moving images, eg Cinematograph films
Musical works
Published editions, where publishers have copyright over the typographical arrangements
Sound recordings such as CDs and cassettes
Written material such as books, articles, essays, novels,poems, lyrics, letters, training manuals and reports

How long does copyright last?

Duration of copyright
From the Department of Communications and the Arts (Australia).