Copyright Law

The copyright law is very complex and constantly evolving. The information in this document is provided as guidance only and does not constitute expert or legal advice. If in doubt, always assume that a work is in copyright and seek legal advice before reproducing it.

A proportion of the works available online in Picture Australia are in copyright and thus protected by the Copyright Act of the Commonwealth of Australia or by international copyright conventions.

The Copyright Act is applicable to all acts of copying and communicating within Australia. Items accessed from overseas will be subject to the copyright law of that country. A recent guide to digitisation and copyright law is available from the University of Melbourne's Centre for Media and Communication Law. Follow the link to Guidelines for Digitisation. Although this guide is targeted at institutions that wish to make digital copies, it is an excellent plain-English guide to all copying of library materials.

For more information, please Contact us.

You may also want to contact copyright collecting agencies such as the Visual Arts Collecting Society (VI$COPY) or visit the Copyright Agency Limited website for more information on copyright.

Duration of Copyright

The laws of copyright apply to works which are still within the period of copyright protection. Material which is out of copyright is said to be in the 'public domain' and may be used freely. The laws of copyright apply to works which are still within the period of copyright protection. As a result of the Australia/US Free Trade Agreement (AUSTFA) the duration of copyright in artworks has changed significantly. Under new rules, photographs that were protected by copyright on 1 January 2005, or which have been created on or after this date, are protected by new copyright laws under the AUSFTA.

Photographs taken before 1 January 1955 are out of copyright and are not affected by these new rules.

For Further information on the duration of copyright in artworks please see the information sheets available at the Australian Copyright Council website.

Picture Australia Conditions of Use Statement

All images from the Picture Australia website may be used for research or educational purposes, in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). If you intend to publish the images in print or online, other than as permitted by this Conditions of Use statement, you will need to get permission from the contributing agency. Further copyright information and advice is provided by the Australia Copyright Council at www.copyright.org.au.