Copyright Law Branch
The Attorney-General's Department Copyright Law Branch has extensive expertise on all aspects of copyright law and policy. The Branch give legal and legal policy advice to the Attorney-General and Commonwealth Government agencies on a range of copyright and related issues.
Under the Administrative Arrangements Order (AAO) the Attorney-General is responsible for the Copyright Act 1968. The AAO sets out which Ministers are responsible for each of the Acts of the Australian Parliament. Since 1993, the Department of Communications and the Arts has had joint responsibility with the Attorney-General's Department for most copyright policy matters. The Copyright Law Branches in the Attorney-General's Department and Department of Communication and the Arts have monthly cooperation meetings to monitor progress of the Government's copyright reform agenda.
The Copyright Law Branch advises the Attorney-General and Government agencies on:
- the rights and obligations of the Government under copyright law
- the impact of new communications technologies on copyright
- Australia's international obligations under intellectual property conventions
- performers' rights
- national symbols protection
- moral rights of authors, artists and film makers
- legal protection of Aboriginal arts and cultural expression
- the interaction of designs and artistic copyright protection
- parallel importation of books, sound recordings, videos, software
- exceptions to copyright infringement
- statutory licences for the use of copyright by libraries, education institutions and institutions assisting persons with disabilities
- the activities of copyright royalty collecting societies, including APRA, PPCA, Screenrights, CAL
- the role of the Copyright Tribunal and of the Copyright Law Review Committee
- all other aspects of the Copyright Act and regulations
- matters relating to the Circuit Layouts Act and regulations.
Joan Sheedy is the Assistant Secretary heading the Copyright Law Branch. She can be contacted on tel: (02) 6250 6313 and fax: (02) 6250 5929 or email.
Michelle Tippett (tel: 02 6250 6655 or email) provides the Copyright Law Branch with administrative support.