Copyright Law

Intellectual Property

Copyrights.

Australian law provides an owner with the exclusive (copyright) rights to reproduce a certain work for a specified period subject to some basic limits.

Copyrights arise automatically and are in force for the lifetime of the product or literary works based on certain governmental rules and regulations. Unlike, say the United States for example; no fees or government costs are involved to copyright your work(s).

To establish a copyright you must simply print the below notice, either on the cover or the page immediate following the cover in your book, report, guide, manual, software, etc. EG,

(c) 2004, John Doe,

or Copyright 2004, John Doe.

Most people are unaware that you are not required by law to register the copyright in Australia with the copyright office. Searching for a prior copyright is in most cases un-necessary. Copyright infringement can be avoided by establishing that a work was independently created. Therefore records showing independent creation are helpful to avoid liability.

Taken from ‘101Trade Secrets Lawyers Don’t Want You To Know!’ by RPEMERY & ASSOCIATES