The Copyright Agency agreement covers the copying and communication of print and graphic material (e.g. book chapters, journal articles, images, etc.).
The main conditions of the agreement:
- Use is strictly for educational purposes of the University;
- Access must be restricted to Curtin staff and students;
- There are limits on the amount of material which can be copied and communicated;
- Electronic copies must include the copyright warning notice.
Under the University Copyright Procedures, any copying and communication under the Copyright Agency agreement must go through the Library’s Reading Lists service.
Library staff will check copyright requirements, attach warning notices, and source or digitise content as required. Reading Lists is integrated with your Blackboard unit.
Staff must not upload third party copyright material directly to Blackboard.
Reuse limits
Reuse limits vary depending on the type of material used:
- Journals/newspapers – one article per issue, two or more articles per issue if they relate to the same subject matter.
- Books – 10% of the words, or 10% of the pages, or one chapter, whichever is greater.
- Conference papers – it depends on whether the material is published as a journal article (if including in regular conference proceedings), or as a book chapter (if include in one-off conference proceedings); or as a whole work. If the paper is a whole work, you will only be permitted to copy 10% of it.
- Anthologies – one literary or dramatic work, of no more than 15 pages of the whole anthology.
- Artistic works (e.g. images, diagrams, maps, tables, etc.) – may be copied together with the text to explain the work. The whole of an artistic work may be copied unless it has been separately published. If separately published, the artwork may only be copied if you license its use, or it is out of print or unavailable (see point below).
- Out of print or unavailable material – more than the 10% limit may be used if the University is satisfied, after checking availability that copies of the work cannot be obtained within a reasonable time and at an ordinary commercial price. Generally a reasonable time is considered as six months for textbooks, and thirty days for other types of material.
- Website content – is covered by Terms of Use and we recommend checking the terms for permitted and prohibited uses.
- Short quotes and extracts – generally okay to copy and communicate without relying on the Statutory Licence. Extracts should be limited to 1-2 pages, or 1% of the words of the material, and do not require the copyright warning notice.
