An infringement of copyright occurs where an act comprised in the copyright is done in relation to a "substantial part" or "reasonable portion" of a work or other subject matter. These limits are not defined in the Act, but in deciding whether or not an act amounts to an infringement, courts have placed a greater emphasis on the quality of what is used than the quantity.
The Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) permits the University to reproduce (copy) and communicate a reasonable portion of a copyright work, including making that reasonable portion available online.
There is no copyright infringement if:
- the copyright is owned by the University;
- the material has been supplied to the University with an express licence to copy and/or communicate it;
- you obtain permission from the relevant copyright owner;
- the proposed copying and/or communication falls within any of several exceptions in the Copyright Act that allow limited amounts of copying and communication without payment; or
- the copying and/or communication is covered by "statutory licence".
For more information please see the following AskUs FAQ, and Australian Copyright Council Information sheets:
