Do I need permission to use copyright material

30/09/2010

This will depend on a number of factors such as the type of material you are using and the purpose for which you will be using the material.

Unless a special exception or defence applies, generally people need permission to use all or more than a substantial part of copyright material in a way that is exclusively controlled by the copyright owner.

However, there are a number of situations in which people can use copyright material without permission. The provisions in the Copyright Act which cover these situations (referred to as “defences” or “exceptions”) are mostly very specific, so click on the Find an Answer section (above) to have a look at our information sheets entitled An Introduction to Copyright in Australia, Permission: Do I Need It, Permission: How to Get It and Ownership of Copyright as a starting point.