Copyright Hub
The Copyright Hub provides information to assist and educate you in creating and legally using copyright-protected material in your learning, teaching and research activities.
What is copyright?
Copyright is the protection of an expression of a thought, not the originality of the thought or idea.
In other words, copyright does not apply to ideas or information, only to how they are expressed in a material form (e.g. written as text or recorded as sound or images). This includes the expression of ideas or information in an original artistic, literary, dramatic or musical work, a cinematographic film, a radio or television broadcast or a sound recording.
Copyright applies automatically as soon as the work is created. Therefore, in Australia, there is no need to register your work for copyright to apply. Copyright applies to all material in any platform including the online environment.
Role-specific information
Academic integrity
Find out what academic integrity is, how it relates to you, how to follow the rules (including copyright for students) and what to do if you're accused of academic misconduct. It's important you understand your responsibilities.
Copyright in research data
Unless there is an agreement in place that specifies otherwise, La Trobe University owns the copyright in your research data. The following page provides information on the exclusive rights La Trobe University will have with your research data, including licensing options for re-use.
Copyright and your thesis
Once your thesis is written, it will be protected by copyright. Copyright will also apply to any drafts of your thesis. You'll own the copyright in your thesis unless there's an agreement in place that specifies otherwise. The following page will give you more information on copyright, submitting your research and your thesis.
Academic integrity for staff
Learn about Academic Integrity and copyright responsibilities.
Copyright Training Module
This self-enrolment training module will give you the basics of copyright for a professional academic career. In the education sector, copyright is a critical piece of our daily activity, whether it's complying with statutory licences when copying for students, enabling students to copy using fair dealing or adhering to copyright licence requirements in your teaching and research activities.
Copyright information for University staff
Copyright information and instructions to help you when using copyright protected material in your teaching, in reliance on the educational statutory licences.
General copyright information
Copyright Permission Service for researchers and staff
Direct permission from a copyright owner may be required to use material if you cannot rely on any exceptions under the Australian Copyright Act 1968, including copying and communication limits of the Educational Statutory Licence [staff access required].
For La Trobe University staff, the Copyright Permission Service is available to seek permission on your behalf to use copyright-protected material in any La Trobe University-related teaching, learning or research activity. This might include using material in the University Learning Management System (LMS), University publications, web pages, events, research, publications, presentations or conference papers which relate to your capacity as a current La Trobe University staff member.
For Graduate Research students, the Copyright Permission Service is also available to seek permission on your behalf to use copyright-protected material in any La Trobe University-related theses, research projects or published papers.
Alternatively, you may choose to seek the permission yourself, in which case, please refer to information on requesting permission from a copyright owner to reproduce material.
Information in this section has been adapted from the University of Melbourne Copyright Office and is used with permission from University of Melbourne.
Contact us
If you have any questions or require further information pertaining to copyright, please get in touch.