Copyright for studying

Copyright for studying

As a student, you'll use and make things that are protected by copyright while you study. It's important to understand and follow copyright rules—not just because it's the law and part of university policy, but also to build good habits that will help you throughout your career. 

If you are a higher degree research student or considering publishing, please refer to the Copyright for research and publishing page. 

Here are some recommended practices to avoid copyright infringement while you are studying and preparing your assessments: 

TipExample
Use reputable resources Library Search and Google Scholar search results exclude pirated resources. Avoid websites that require uploading of material to access other material. Some materials may have to be purchased.  
Link or embed instead of copying Linking or embedding material does not infringe copyright and does not rely on licences or fair dealing exceptions.  
Use Open Educational Resources Open Education Resources generally have a Creative Commons or similar open licence that permits certain uses without requiring permission or relying on an exception. See the Open Education Resource for information about how to find Open Education Resources.  
Observe download limits Some library databases do not permit downloading of texts or they limit printing or downloading to a certain number of pages. Circumventing these limits will violate the licence terms of the provider. For most e-resources you will still be able to read the text online where download limits are in place.  
Do not share course materials online Uploading or sharing course materials or course readings to study assistance websites and other services will infringe copyright in most circumstances. Open Education Resources outlined above are the exception and can usually be freely shared. 
Avoid plagiarismStudents must submit their own work. Presenting other people’s work as your own is in breach of the University Academic Integrity Policy, and may result in a penalty.  
Attribute all sourcesStudents must also attribute or reference all sources, in line with the University Academic Integrity Policy. Authors also have a legislated moral (or personal) right to be attributed under copyright.  See the Referencing Guide for information about referencing. 
Get adviceContact Ask Library if there is a particular resource or item that you cannot locate or access in Library Search or if you have any copyright queries. 

The University Intellectual Property Policy provides information that includes copyright – created during their studies in most circumstances. This includes study and research outputs such as assignments and theses.

However, there are circumstances where the University or another third party may assert ownership over student-created IP. For example, where a work output:

  • Builds on pre-existing University Intellectual Property, or
  • Is in conjunction with an external third party, such as a lead author, Co-operative Research Centre or company.

These predominantly apply to postgraduate students in relation to the Intellectual Property in research outputs that have significant commercialisation potential, such as for inventions, software or plant varieties. 

This fair dealing exception permits the use of a ‘reasonable portion’ of material for research or study purposes. The research or study can be personal or informal but does not extend to sharing or publishing material.

A reasonable portion is generally up to:

  • 10% of the words or pages;
  • 1 chapter or article; or
  • Multiple chapters or articles if from the same periodical publication and for the same course of study. 

If using more than a reasonable portion, or using other types of materials such as an artistic work, sound recording, film or broadcast, the following fairness factors must be considered, in aggregate:

  • Purpose of the copying (eg research or study).
  • The nature of the work. 
  • Commercial availability of the work. 
  • The effect of copying on the market for the work. 
  • Amount and substantiality of the part used. 

See the Australia Copyright Council Research or Study Fact Sheet for more information on assessing the fairness factors. 

The examination exception in the Copyright Act permits unlimited copying and communication of any type of material, but only where it is being included in an exam or assessment question or answer. The exception cannot be relied on for using material in relation to practice tests and other activities that are not being formally assessed as part of the final course grade. 

Architecture

Copyright for ‘artistic works’ includes drawings, blueprints, plans, buildings and models of buildings, among other forms. The creation of a three-dimensional artistic work from a two-dimensional work - or vice-versa - is considered a reproduction and may infringe copyright. As such, a building cannot be constructed from architectural plans unless there is a licence or agreement in place, such as between an architect and client.

However, a building can be reproduced as a drawing, painting, etching or photograph without infringing copyright under an exception in the Copyright Act.

Law

Legislation and judgments are often released under licence that permits reproduction, communication and annotation for educational purposes. Refer to the relevant resource for specific details.

If there is no licence applicable, consider submitting a permission request to the relevant agency. Crown copyright subsists from the date made plus 50 years.

Music

The University has a Music Licence with APRA/AMCOS, ARIA and PPCA. The agreement allows University staff and students to perform, record and share musical works and sound recordings in certain circumstances. See Copyright Collecting Society Licences under Further resources for more details. 

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