Australian Copyright Law

Last Updated: 27 February 2006

Australian copyright legislation
The Australian Constitution gives the Federal Government authority to legislate in respect of copyright. The first Australian copyright legislation was the Copyright Act 1912, which merely declared that the UK's Copyright Act 1911 applied in Australia. This remained Australia's law until 1969 when the present Copyright Act 1968 came into force. Whilst the current Act has been amended numerous times, two notable amendments were made by the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Act 2000 and the US Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act 2004.
The Digital Agenda amendments
Digital Agenda Review Report, 2004
EFA submission to the review of the "Digital Agenda" amendments to the Copyright Act, 30 September 2003
Advisory Report on the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Bill 1999, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 6 Dec 1999
See also: Public Submissions to the Committee's Inquiry
EFA submission in response to the Federal Government's Discussion Paper Copyright Reform and the Digital Agenda, August 1997.
Cracking down on copycats: enforcement of copyright in Australia, Report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 4 Dec 2000
See also: Public Submissions to the Committee's Inquiry
Administration of the Copyright Act 1968 is shared between the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and the Attorney-General's Department.
Attorney-General's Department - A Short Guide to Copyright