Need to know:
How do you tell if a work is protected and how does copyright affect your ability to use resources in your own work. There are rules you need to follow to make sure you adhere to the law.
Copyright is important because it gives creators control over their creative work. This means they can decide who uses their work, how it can be used and if they will charge a fee to other people who want to use it. This gives creators the ability to earn a living from their works and/or to control how their works are used or disseminated.
In Australia, copyright protection is automatic. This means that a work does not need to be registered or have a copyright notice on it to be protected by copyright. A work will be protected as soon as it is put into material form, such as being written down or recorded in some way (filmed or recorded on an audio tape).
Copyright is important because it gives creators control over their creative work. This means they can decide who uses their work, how it can be used and if they will charge a fee to other people who want to use it. This gives creators the ability to earn a living from their works and/or to control how their works are used or disseminated.
In Australia, copyright protection is automatic. This means that a work does not need to be registered or have a copyright notice on it to be protected by copyright. A work will be protected as soon as it is put into material form, such as being written down or recorded in some way (filmed or recorded on an audio tape).
The Jargon:
Fair use: The ability to use a small amount of someone's creative work without permission, but only in certain ways.
Commercial purposes: a use in connection with a business, usually for profit.
Copyright: a law that protects a creator's ownership of and control over the work they create, requiring other people to get the creator's permission before they copy, share, or perform that work.
Creative Commons: a kind of copyright that makes it easy for people to copy, share, and build on someone's work - as long as they give credit for it.
Public Domain: Creative work that is not protected by copyright and is therefore free to use.
Commercial purposes: a use in connection with a business, usually for profit.
Copyright: a law that protects a creator's ownership of and control over the work they create, requiring other people to get the creator's permission before they copy, share, or perform that work.
Creative Commons: a kind of copyright that makes it easy for people to copy, share, and build on someone's work - as long as they give credit for it.
Public Domain: Creative work that is not protected by copyright and is therefore free to use.
Your rights and responsibilities:
When can you use other people’s work?
If you want to use someone else’s work, you can generally only use it if your use is permitted under an exception contained in the Australian Copyright Act (‘Copyright Act’). 1. There are a list of exceptions called 'fair use' or ‘fair dealing’ in the Copyright Act that allow students to copy and use other people’s works for the purpose of:
3. You ask the copyright owner for permission and they give it. This is called permission or a licence. |
The Ultimate guide to Copyright, Fair use and Creative Commons for Educators has a comprehensive explanation of your rights and responsibilities.
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Fair Use:
Students can copy and communicate limited amounts of works under “fair dealing” without seeking the permission of the copyright owner. To rely on fair dealing, the use of the material must be fair and for the purpose of:
Overall, deciding whether a student’s use is ‘fair’ will be determined largely by how much of the work has been copied. This can be tricky as the Copyright Act provides little guidance on what constitutes a ‘fair’ amount.
When in doubt, students should use royalty free media so as not to get into trouble. Students should link to material or use Creative Commons licensed material where possible.
Students can copy and communicate limited amounts of works under “fair dealing” without seeking the permission of the copyright owner. To rely on fair dealing, the use of the material must be fair and for the purpose of:
- research or study
- criticism or review
- parody or satire
- reporting the news
Overall, deciding whether a student’s use is ‘fair’ will be determined largely by how much of the work has been copied. This can be tricky as the Copyright Act provides little guidance on what constitutes a ‘fair’ amount.
When in doubt, students should use royalty free media so as not to get into trouble. Students should link to material or use Creative Commons licensed material where possible.
USING GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH:
PHOTOGRAPHS:
How to search for free to use photos in Google:
1. Go to the dedicated Google Image Search page.
2. Conduct a keyword search using the search window to find a selection of suitable images
3. On the results page, select TOOLS, and then in USAGE RIGHTS, choose the rights that best suit how you plan to use the photo or illustration.
4. Once you find a suitable image with the correct usage right, you can download it and use it freely.
More information about using Google Images can be found here: 6 best practices for legally using Google Images.
How to search for free to use photos in Google:
1. Go to the dedicated Google Image Search page.
2. Conduct a keyword search using the search window to find a selection of suitable images
3. On the results page, select TOOLS, and then in USAGE RIGHTS, choose the rights that best suit how you plan to use the photo or illustration.
4. Once you find a suitable image with the correct usage right, you can download it and use it freely.
More information about using Google Images can be found here: 6 best practices for legally using Google Images.
ATTRIBUTION:
Attribution of all media used in your creative work:
If you use an image you have found through a Google image search (or by any other means), acknowledge it in the following way.
At the end of your video or other creative work present a list of credits for any creative works used under 'fair use'. Include the name of the work, the URL and the date accessed.
Sometimes the distributor of the media have their own licence rules - you should read the Terms / Licence page on each site to understand how they wish their media to be acknowledged and abide by their rules.
If you use an image you have found through a Google image search (or by any other means), acknowledge it in the following way.
At the end of your video or other creative work present a list of credits for any creative works used under 'fair use'. Include the name of the work, the URL and the date accessed.
Sometimes the distributor of the media have their own licence rules - you should read the Terms / Licence page on each site to understand how they wish their media to be acknowledged and abide by their rules.
FREE MEDIA TO USE IN YOUR CREATIVE WORK:
When using royalty free media, take time to read the licencing information. This will assist you with your understanding of usage rights and attribution of the media provided on each site.
Creative Commons is a good place to start searching for content to re-use. Go to the Search Creative Commons page.
For Australian content go to TROVE . Refine your search to 'freely available' content. There is a tab for Music, Sound and Video and Pictures, Photos, Objects
For Australian content go to TROVE . Refine your search to 'freely available' content. There is a tab for Music, Sound and Video and Pictures, Photos, Objects
IMAGES: PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS:
Wikimedia Commons Check out the highlights box for some tips on finding good images if you are a first time user.
Getty Images. A large library of editorial images
Pond5 Search the largest library of royalty free photos and illustrations
Unsplash . Free to join
Free images.com
Getty Images. A large library of editorial images
Pond5 Search the largest library of royalty free photos and illustrations
Unsplash . Free to join
Free images.com
VIDEO:
Mix.it.co Free stock video
Pond5 stock video
Pixabay videos.
Mazwai. is a resource for free stock footage and moving images, created with one clear mission: to give creators around the world free access to beautiful stock footage, with simple licensing.
Pond5 stock video
Pixabay videos.
Mazwai. is a resource for free stock footage and moving images, created with one clear mission: to give creators around the world free access to beautiful stock footage, with simple licensing.
MUSIC:
Freeplaymusic.com Over 50,000 songs to use in Youtube and more
Freemusicarchive.org Search by Genre and download.
Besound. Royalty free music (has a cinematic category)
Freemusicarchive.org Search by Genre and download.
Besound. Royalty free music (has a cinematic category)
If you are aware of other good quality, no cost to the user and royalty free media assets online, let a Teacher Librarian know and we will add it to our recommendations.