Copyright for Studying

Two students sitting in front of an open laptop

As a student you will use and create copyright-protected materials in the course of your studies. It is important to be familiar with and observe copyright to comply with legal requirements, University policies, and integrity principles, as well as to develop life-long best practices throughout your career.

If you are a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) student or you are considering publishing your research outputs, see the Copyright - Research & Publishing page.Ìý

  • Best practices

    There are several recommended practices to avoid copyright infringement while studying and preparing assessments:

    Tip Example
    Use reputable resources

    Library Search and Google Scholar search results exclude pirated resources. Avoid websites that require uploading of material to access other material. Some materials may have to be purchased.Ìý
    Link or embed instead of copying Linking or embedding material does not infringe copyright and does not rely on licences or fair dealing exceptions.Ìý
    Use Open Educational Resources (OERs)

    OERs generally have a Creative Commons or similar open licence that permits certain uses without requiring permission or relying on an exception. See the for information on how to find OERs.Ìý
    Observe download limits

    Some library databases don’t permit downloading of texts or they limit printing or downloading to a certain number of pages. Circumventing these limits will violate the licence terms of the provider. For most e-resources you will still be able to read the text online where download limits are in place.Ìý
    Don't share course materials online Uploading or sharing course materials or course readings to study assistance websites and other services will infringe copyright in most circumstances. OERs outlined above are the exception and can usually be freely shared.
    Avoid plagiarism

    The University Academic Integrity Policy mandates that students must submit original work.ÌýÌý
    Attribute all sources

    The Academic Integrity Policy mandates that students must attribute or reference all sources. Authors also have a legislated moral (or personal) right to be attributed under copyright.ÌýSee Referencing Support for guidance.Ìý

    Get advice

    Contact Ask Library if there is a particular resource or item that you cannot locate or access in Library Search.ÌýÌý

    Contact the Copyright & Licensing Coordinator in relation to copyright queries.Ìý

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  • Copyright ownership

    The University Intellectual Property Policy provides that students retain the IP – including copyright – created during their studies in most circumstances. This includes study and research outputs such as assignments and theses.

    However, there are circumstances where the University or another third party may assert ownership over student-created IP. For example, where a work output:

    • Builds on pre-existing University IP, orÌý
    • Is in conjunction with an external third party, such as a lead author, Co-operative Research Centre or company.

    These predominantly apply to postgraduate students in relation to the IP in research outputs that have significant commercialisation potential, such as for inventions, software or plant varieties. See the 911±¬ÁÏÍø Graduate Research School’s Intellectual Property and Embargo page for more information.ÌýÌýÌýÌý

  • Research or study exception

    The fair dealing exception for research