Under the Copyright Act, content that has been broadcast on television or radio can be used for educational purposes without paying an additional licence fee.
Copyright in music is complicated. Copyright could be present in a number of forms:
There are a number of different conditions you will need to consider when using music in your teaching. One important distinction you will need to be aware of that the method of capturing music changes the copyright conditions of music. Copyright in music differs depending on whether you have captured the music at the same time as the recording occurs (in context) or if it was added in post-production.
Australian copyright law has not yet been updated to consider the implications of content created by Artificial Intelligence, such as ChatGPT or Adoble Firefly. Currently in Australia copyright is not present in works created by non-humans. However there is current debate underway about how much “independent intellectual effort” someone needs to apply when using AI tools before copyright is present.
As there is currently no copyright protection for content generated from AI tools, there are no limits (under copyright law) on the portion of these works that you can use. However, it is best practice to reference use of AI when sharing content. You should also be aware that, some AI tools have made use of content that has been uploaded without the permission of the copyright owner and this may have future legal implications.
Further information on this topic is available from the Australian Copyright Council Factsheet: Artificial Intelligence & Copyright.
There are some key issues you should also be aware of:
If you want to use AI generated content in your teaching materials you should follow the “Guidelines for Referencing Large Language Models or Artificial Intelligence in Assessments” to ensure you are meeting CQUniversity’s academic integrity requirements, and showcase to students how to reference this material.
For further information on use of AI in Teaching and Learning see the GenAI staffnet page.
Micro Credential units are not covered by all of the same licenses that apply to other units, such as those outlined above. Micro Credential units must only use Open Access material including images. For more details about finding open access resource please visit our Open Access and Creative Common page.
Students enrolled in Micro Credential units are able to use open access content, They are unable to access any material in our library databases, including video content on platforms such as ClickView.
In developing content for Micro Credential units - educators are allowed to quote and paraphrase small amounts of copyright works, so long as they are properly cited.
If you are unsure of the copyright compliance of the resources you want to use for a Micro Credential unit, please contact [email protected]
The general rule in Australia: 70 years from the end of the year in which the creator died or 70 years from the end of the year in which the material was first published (if not published during the creator’s life, or if the work was published anonymously or under a pseudonym).
Copyright can't be extended. If the copyright in an item has expired it is considered to be in the public domain, and you may use it without seeking permission or needing to comply with the conditions of the Copyright Act.
Unpublished material can have no expiration for copyright.
Find more information in the 'Duration of Copyright' sheet on the Australian Government Website.
The types of works copyright protects include:
Definition from Smartcopying The Official Guide to Copyright Issues for Schools and TAFE
Attribution is a reference to the creator of the content. If you use Creative Commons works such as images in your assignments, research, or lecture materials, you will need to attribute the the work to the author. For example, if you used a CC image, you would need to include a caption with the attribution. To attribute a CC work, include the following details:
For more information see the CC Creative Commons organisation Best practices for attribution.
Reference the work according to the guidelines for the style you have been asked to use. If it is an image, reference it as an image. The CQUniversity referencing guides page has free copies of the guides.
Generally, if you want to copy or share someone else’s work, you are likely to need permission (or a licence) from the copyright owner, unless:
Some items can only be used If you obtain permission from the creator. A permission request template is available. The completed form MUST be submitted to the library via TaSAC.
Yes, but make sure you are adhering to the rules regarding videos containing music. If the students are performing the works and not using any commercial sound recordings then putting their recitals online would be covered for both the University website and official social media channels. If, however, your students have used a commercial sound recordings (for example they have sampled some Queen recordings and looped them as an accompaniment to their recital), then the use of the commercial sound recordings means that the student’s performance can only be streamed via the University website, not social media channels. It may be shared via the University LMS but not any public facing website.
Yes, even if they are streamed via a platform like Zoom or Teams. You need to consider though that in making a recording of lecture that contains music you must treat that audio-visual file according to the limitations surrounding how you captured the music (either in-context or post production) as detailed above.
As long as you are not illegally downloading or streaming the recording but instead purchasing the recording or stream from a legitimate provider, then this is considered ‘legally sourcing’ the recording. Please note however that if you are sourcing your recording from an online subscription platform (e.g. Spotify) then you will need to check the terms and conditions of your licence, as this may be for personal use only.
The university retains copyright ownership in course materials developed by employees during their course of employment. For further information see the Intellectual Property and Moral Rights Policy.
This module is for: Academic staff, Library staff, TaSAC staff and Moodle staff.

This is for staff who aren't listed under the Copyright basics and use in teaching training.

Learn how to utilise Open Access and Creative Commons content.
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