Infringement
It is an infringement to breach copyright. Both staff and students are required to observe copyright rules and not infringe, or authorise an infringement of, copyright. Staff or students could be open to prosecution if they infringe copyright.
There are several provisions in the Copyright Act that allow staff and students to use copyright material for either educational purposes or research and study without breaching copyright. These include:
- Fair Dealing Provisions for Research and Study;
- Statutory Licences Part VA and Part VB - to use material for educational purposes;
- The Music Licence - allows staff and students to make limited use of music for educational purposes.
There are also provisions that allow certain material to be recorded or reproduced for personal use. Limitations and conditions apply.
In addition, staff and students should be aware of the University's policies on intellectual property (IP) and computer use, as well as related topics. The links below provide further information:
- IT Guide for Students
- Regulation for Computing and Network Facilities
- Specific Rules Relating the Use of Student IT Facilities
- IP Statute - for both students and staff
- Intellectual Property
- Student ownership of IP - FAQ - from the Compliance Office
- Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
Authorising an Infringement
It may also be an infringement to authorise an infringement of copyright. A person is likely to have authorised an infringement when they have requested or instructed someone else to infringe copyright, or have exercised a degree of control over the person infringing copyright or the means by which the infringing copy was made, or has countenanced, sanctioned or approved the infringement. You can be liable for unauthorised copies made on your equipment if you do not make users of the equipment aware of their copyright obligations.