Intellectual property

Issues and policies relating to the creation, exploitation and access to copyright material have changed dramatically with the development of new digital technologies and the new opportunities provided by the Internet.

The Content Regulation Branch within the Department provides advice to relevant agencies (such as the Attorney-General's Department and IP Australia) to ensure that Australian Government regulation of intellectual property (IP):

• keeps pace with developments in the industries that produce or carry content;
• facilitates innovation policy and ICT industry development; and
• encourages the growth of the information economy.

Further information on Australian Government policy and legislation on copyright matters is available from the Attorney-General’s Copyright Law Branch at www.ag.gov.au/copyright

Commonwealth Copyright Administration

Responsibility for administering the copyright of materials produced by the Australian Government has moved to the Attorney-General's Department. See Commonwealth Copyright Administration at www.ag.gov.au/cca

Legal Deposit

A review of the legal deposit scheme is being undertaken jointly by the Department of Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts, the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the Attorney-General’s Department.

The current legal deposit scheme requires Australian publishers of ‘library material’ to deposit copies of that material with the National Library of Australia. ‘Library material’ includes all paper-based publications, books, pamphlets, sheet music and periodicals that are published in Australia.

The scheme currently does not apply to films, sound recordings or other materials in an electronic form, such as web material or books published electronically. An extended legal deposit scheme may assist in the collection and preservation of the nation's important cultural material.

The Extension of Legal Deposit discussion paper and copies of submissions received in relation to the paper (submissions closed on Friday 2 May 2008) are available on the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website.

• Document ID: 46183 |
• Last modified: 24 June 2008, 10:04am