Under the Copyright Act, the owner has certain exclusive rights to control the use of their copyright material. The rights differ according to the type of work protected. Note that for schools and TAFE many of these activities are covered by a statutory or voluntary licence or a copyright exception.

a.     Literary, dramatic and musical works

The copyright owner has the right to:

• • copy the work in material form (eg print or download the work)
  • publish the work (supply copies to the public)
  • communicate the work to the public (eg by email or upload to school DTE)
  • perform the work in public and
  • make an adaptation of the work (eg writing a screenplay based on a novel, or a new arrangement of a song).

b.     Artistic works

The copyright owner has the right to:

• • copy the work in material form (eg print or download the work)
  • publish the work (eg reproduce in a pamphlet) and
  • communicate the work to the public (by email, posting it on a school DTE or website).

c.     Films

The copyright owner has the right to:

• • make a copy of the film (eg convert a DVD to a digital version)
  • show the film to the public (eg to show the film at a school fundraiser) and
  • communicate the film to the public (eg upload the film to a TAFE website).

d.     Sound Recordings

The copyright owner has the right to:

• • make a copy of the sound recording (eg make a compilation of digital recordings)
  • play the recording in public (eg to play the recording in a TAFE restaurant as background music) and
  • communicate the recording to the public (eg upload to a school DTE).

e.     Broadcasts

The copyright owner has the right to:

• • make a recording of the broadcast
  • re-broadcast the broadcast and
  • communicate the broadcast to the public.

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