Library Staff Copyright Responsibilities

Library staff need to be aware of, and comply with, the general provisions of the Copyright Act.  As far as possible, they should also help Library users to abide by those provisions.

Staff may be required to explain certain provisions of the Act - such as the limits on photocopying under a 'fair dealing' - to Library users. But please be careful if you are asked for general advice on copyright issues. The Copyright Act is complex; there are many areas where applying the appropriate legislation depends on very specific circumstances. If in doubt, contact the Copyright Coordinator.

Library users seeking information about copyright can be referred to the Information Sheets on this website; the Copyright Coordinator; and/or the Australian Copyright Council, an independent non-profit organisation that offers a range of information to users and producers of copyright materials.

FAQs and Information Sheets for Library Staff

• How much copyright material can a student download or copy? aka 'Fair Dealing for Research and Study'
• What is a Reasonable Portion of a Copyright Work?
• May students download digital images for an assignment?
• Who holds copyright in an Honours thesis?
• Copying Text and Images from the Internet
• Digital Theses and Copyright
• The Screenrights Licence (re Lectopia)
• Copying Broadcasts Off-Air - Screenrights Recordings
• Labels for Screenrights Recordings made by individual members of staff
• Obtaining Out-of-Print Books for the Library

More information sheets can be found here

Forms & Notices

• Honours thesis copyright acknowledgement form
• AV item upload to Lectopia - Request Form
• s.39A Notice (for self-service photocopies, scanners, PCs, etc.)
• s.104B Notice (audio-visual copying: for self service VCRs, cassette players, PCs, etc.)
• Declaration that a book is not available to purchase/out-of-print

n.b. Documentation for the re-formatting of AV items is in the 'Common' folder (Copyright Information) on the G drive

Copyright and Library Procedures

As well as legislating for the statutory licences (VB/CAL, which covers much of the University's use of print and graphic works; and Screenrights, which covers the copying and communication of off-air broadcasts), the Copyright Act makes a number of specific exceptions to copyright owners' exclusive rights that enable the library to support the research and study needs of our students and staff. 

Murdoch University Library policies and procedures that incorporate these provisions include the digitisation of certain materials; the copying of works into appropriate formats for people with a print disability; the copying and communication of works between libraries; the reproduction of works that are out of print;  and so on: information about these topics can be found in the 'Common' folder (Copyright Information) on the G drive. 

Further information on the library exceptions can be found at the sites listed below:

• Australian Libraries Copyright Committee
• ALIA copyright site