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Check for copyright licences

You can use copyright material without permission if a licence applies.

Copyright owners have exclusive rights to reproduce or publish their work, perform or present it in public, make it available online or send it via email, or make an adaptation of it (including a translation). Read the Australian Copyright Council's fact sheets: An Introduction to Copyright in Australia and Duration of Copyright for more info.

A copyright owner can apply a licence to their work to make the material available for others to use. There are different types of licences, and each has unique terms and conditions. Check if any of the licences below cover the content you want to use.

Just because a work has a licence applied, this doesn't mean it's free from copyright – only that permission has been granted for specific uses under the terms of that licence.

Copyright licences used at Federation

Other licence agreements

These licences don't apply to your content?

You might still be able to use it. Check if an exception applies, and if that doesn't work, ask the copyright owner for permission.

What can happen if you don't follow copyright law

If you use copyright material without permission, the owner can take legal action, ask you to remove the material, or seek financial compensation. The University can also take action against you (seen as a disciplinary matter).

Contact us

If you have any questions about copyright, please email copyright@federation.edu.au or call (03) 5327 9876.