Licensed Material and Copyright: Home

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Voluntary principles for article sharing on scholarly collaboration networks - STM - Revised 8 June 2018

Access to electronic resources (such as databases, eJournals and eBooks) purchased from academic and commercial publishers are subject to licence agreements.
These licence agreements take precedence over any copyright provisions that might also apply.

The licence agreements specify the terms and conditions governing how the material is to be used. Whilst each licence agreement is different, there are some general rules that apply to most.

Library users are individually responsible for compliance with the following terms and conditions:

• The library's electronic resources can be used by:
  • SCGH & OPH staff and students - either onsite or offsite
  • You can use the Library's licensed resources for teaching, research, and private study purposes only. 
    • Making and saving a digital copy of single articles or chapters.
    • Printing out copies of single articles or chapters
    • Sharing single articles or chapters with other authorised users.
• This includes:

• You cannot use the Library's licensed resources:
  • For paid or unpaid work on behalf of an organisation other than SCGH & OPH
  • To supply material to non-authorised users
  • For commercial purposes (including but not limited to the sale of licensed resources)
• You cannot use the Library's resources to download bulk or excessive amounts of material
• The use of licensed resources must still comply with the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

For further information see Licences for Digital Resources by the Australian Copyright Council.

​All SCGH & OPH staff and students are expected to adhere to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

Authorised reproduction of material protected by copyright can occur in the following ways:

• Under the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, if the material is used for research and study
  • Hardcopy - a reasonable portion is generally considered to be no more than 10% of the number of pages, or 1 chapter
  • Electronic - no more than 10% of the number of words
  • Periodicals - one article per issue, or more than one article if they are of a related subject
• When permission is granted by the copyright owner.  Ensure permission is obtained in writing and is kept as proof of authorisation to reproduce the material

More extensive reproduction may constitute fair dealing.  To determine whether it does, it is necessary to have regard to the criteria set out in subsection 40 of the Act.

For more comprehensive information regarding copyright in Australia, go to the Australian Copyright Council webpage.

Creative Commons licences provide a simple standardised way for individual creators, companies and institutions to share their work with others on flexible terms without infringing copyright. The licences allow users to reuse, remix and share the content legally.

Offering your work under a Creative Commons licence does not mean giving up your copyright. It means permitting users to make use of your material in various ways, but only on certain conditions.

Find out more at Creative Commons Australia.