Fair go – how to use creative work made by other people responsibly

Every day, teachers across Australia use stories, poems, newspaper articles and photographs to make learning fun and interesting. They might copy or share these materials with their class to help explain a topic or spark new ideas.

But did you know that these creative works are protected by something called copyright?

Copyright is a law that helps protect the work people create and gives them the right to decide how their work is copied, shared or used.

For example, if you write a story or draw a picture, it belongs to you as soon as you create it. That means other people can’t copy it, sell it or publish* it without your permission, unless the law allows it in certain situations.

Sharon Maguchu, who is head of government and education licensing* at not-for-profit* organisation the Copyright Agency, said every creative person starts by learning from someone else’s work.

“We read books, look at art, listen to music and then build on those ideas,” she said. “Copyright helps make that possible by giving people access to creative work, while making sure the writers, artists and publishers behind it are recognised and paid.”

While she said people often think copyright is all about saying, “don’t copy”, that’s not the case.

“It’s about helping young people understand where ideas and creative work come from, how to use them responsibly and why it’s important to acknowledge the people who created them,” Ms Maguchu said.

Teachers are allowed to copy and share many books, articles, images and other learning resources* with their students under special copyright rules called the Statutory Education Licence. This means they don’t have to ask for permission every time they use these materials in class.

Education departments pay for this use through the licence. The Copyright Agency collects these payments and passes them on to the authors, illustrators, photographers, publishers and other creators whose work is used in schools, so they can continue making the books, images and learning resources that students and teachers enjoy using every day.

The Australian Copyright Council has a fact sheet that explains what teachers can copy and share for school, as long as they’re using them to help students learn.

They include things like chapters from books, newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, illustrations, graphs, charts and artworks.

They can share them in many ways, including on educational platforms such as Google Classroom, interactive whiteboards, photocopies and reading aloud.

There are rules, though. Teachers can’t copy an entire book or other publication that can be bought, such as a textbook. They also need to make sure online learning materials can only be accessed by their students and, when needed, parents or carers who are helping with learning at home.

It’s also OK for students to use a small part of someone else’s work for a good reason, which is known as fair dealing.

For example, if you’re learning about dinosaurs, you might copy one page from a book to help with your school project. That’s different from copying the whole book. The person who wrote and illustrated the book worked hard to make it, so you should only use what you need and always say where it came from. This is known as a credit.

When you create a school project, you can also use parts of other people’s work to help share your ideas. You might make a remix, video, slide show, artwork or other creative project using small parts of songs, videos, pictures or text.

Copyright lawyer Jessica Coates, who is director of Policy Education and Research at the Australian Library & Information Association, said when crediting* you should always include the person’s name, the details and the link to the work if you can.

“You can include more information if it’s available and you have room,” she said.

Copyright can be complex, but if you have more questions the Smartcopying website provides a comprehensive* guide to copyright issues relevant* to schools.

For more information visit smartcopying.edu.au

POLL

GLOSSARY

publish: to make information available to people, especially in a book, magazine, or newspaper

licensing: giving or getting official permission to do, have, use, or sell something

not-for-profit: an organisation that does not operate for profit or personal gain

resources: useful or valuable possessions a person or organisation has

crediting: to publicly acknowledge a person’s contribution

comprehensive: complete and thorough

relevant: connected with what is happening or being discussed

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QUICK QUIZ

What can’t you do with something that is protected by copyright?

How can you use someone else’s creative work responsibly?

What’s the name of the special copyright rules that allow teachers to copy and share books, articles, images and other learning resources?

Name four types of creative roles

What should you always include when crediting someone for using their work?

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