Government Publications
Copyright in material created or published by (or under the direction or control of) the Commonwealth, State or Territory Governments is owned by that government, unless otherwise agreed. This includes material created by employees and volunteers. Copyright in material created by contractors or under commission is also owned by the government unless otherwise agreed. Government departments are not able to own their own copyright; instead, it is held by the Crown.
Conditions and limitations on copying or communicating government publications depend on the format of the material; for example, whether it is a book or an image (see: Literary, Artistic, Dramatic or Musical Works & Sound Recordings, Films, TV & Radio & Broadcasts) as well as the intended purpose. Regardless of the format of material, duration of copyright in government publications lasts for 50 years after the year of publication. (In general for non-government publications, copyright lasts for 70 years after the death of the creator - for more information about non-government publication, see Duration of copyright.
If you would like to copy government publications for the purpose of research or study, refer to the Fair Dealing.
If you would like to copy or communicate government publications for educational purposes, refer to the Guidelines for Using Copyright Material for Educational Purposes.
Many government publications are available in full-text on the web. You shouldn't assume that you can freely download or print these publications. Check the terms & conditions or copyright information on the website to see how you may use the material. It is recommended that you link to any government publications on the web, as there are no copyright restrictions on linking to websites.
For any other purposes, you may need to get permission; refer to Seeking Permission - Government Publications.
There are special provisions in the Copyright Act for the government to make use of copyright material; for more information refer to Australian Copyright Council Information Sheet G62 Governments (Commonwealth, State & Territory).
Where research has been funded by a government grant, the government may owns copyright in the research output. This depends on how direct the government’s involvement was on the particular project and the contract under which the grant was issued; e.g. ARC grants. For more information see Melbourne Research Office for information about 'research contracts' and 'managing IP'.
Content updated 17/01/08