government copying
Australia
State and Commonwealth Government departments and instrumentalities can copy from radio and television without having to obtain permission from all the copyright owners, provided they pay a fee to rightsholders.
Screenrights has been appointed to administer these provisions.
Local Government
The government copying provisions in the Copyright Act do not apply to local government (or public libraries). Councils need to obtain permission from all the relevant copyright owners before copying broadcasts.
Surveys
Under the government copying provisions in the Copyright Act, the amount of copying is measured by a survey of departments (as opposed to keeping full records 365 days of the year). Given the current uncertainty as to the amount of copying, governments have chosen to do surveys of all the departments and agencies under their jurisdiction.
When an organisation is being surveyed, emails will be sent to all staff informing staff of their reporting obligations. In essence, staff are asked to keep a record of any copies of television or radio broadcasts that they make for work purposes during the survey period. For most staff, this involves no work as they do not make work copies.
Outside of a survey period it is not necessary to keep any records of copying.
More information
The Australian Copyright Council publishes a guide on copyright for government agencies. Download a summary of the guide from the Council, and the full book can be purchased online from the Council's website.
If you work in a government department and would like more information from Screenrights, please contact us.
Dream Home Ultimate, Ninox Television
Footy Chicks appealed to educators as the program delved into topical, highly publicized mainstream themes. The accompanying study guide provided a resource that made it easier to adapt into a classroom environment.
- Rebecca Barry Company Director Red Ithaka Productions
