AISV: Copyright guidelines

AISV has negotiated licence agreements with agencies selected by the Australian Government to collect and distribute copyright fees. This means that schools do not have to seek permission each time they need to make multiple copies of copyright material for educational purposes.

Material protected by copyright includes:

literary works: novels, textbooks, manuals, newspapers, magazines, song lyrics, databases
artistic works: paintings, sculpture, drawings, cartoons, photographs, maps, architecture
musical works: song music, jingles
dramatic works: plays, screenplays
films: cinematography, videos, DVDs, television
sound recordings: CD, DVD, vinyl, cassettes, MP3s
broadcasts: radio, television

It is an infringement of copyright for any person to copy work in these categories without the permission of the copyright owner, except for specified purposes.

Copyright Licence Agreements have been put in place to allow copying of most works by schools without the need for permission from individual copyright owners each time. Schools can use the works or materials in the classroom and, in some cases, outside the classroom, provided no profit is made from the copied material. Information about exceptions to this rule is contained in the National Copyright Guidelines.

Under the Copyright Licence Agreement schools must participate in a survey to record their copyright usage once every 8 to 10 years, which provides information to reimburse copyright owners for the use of their materials.

The AISV Copyright Agreement allows schools to choose 12-month coverage from the following agencies:

AMCOS – sheet music
AMCOS/ARIA – audio/video recording
APRA Licence – public performance
CAL – print
CAL – digital copying
Screenrights – for recording broadcasts (radio or TV)
Screenrights – digital usage

AISV provides information about the Agreement at the start of each school year and invites Member Schools to take part. The information for 2009 can be downloaded here.

For information about the full Terms and Conditions of Copyright for schools and some commonly asked questions see the National Copyright Guidelines.