Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

Copyright Law Branch

The Copyright Law Branch (CLB) provides legal and legal policy advice on a range of copyright and related issues. The Branch is able to give general information on the Copyright Act but is not able to give legal advice on specific copyright matters to members of the public.

The CLB is made up of the following sections:

The Commonwealth Copyright Administration (CCA), is also located within the Branch. The CCA responds to requests to reproduce or communicate published crown copyright materials. It also provides a public contact point for information about Commonwealth Copyright Administration.

New Technologies Section

The New Technologies Section is responsible for the following tasks:

  • Australia-US Free Trade Agreement obligations relating to technological protection measures
  • Carriage service providers scheme
  • Circuit Layouts Act
  • Copyright and designs overlap
  • Copyright Tribunal appointments
  • CLRC Report on Copyright and Contract
  • CLRC Reports into Simplification of the Copyright Act
  • Government response to Digital Agenda Review
  • Government use of copyright
  • Review of legal deposit
  • Review of pay tv piracy

Trade and Enforcement Section

The Trade and Enforcement Section is responsible for the following tasks:

  • Australian Institute of Criminology research project
  • Bilateral and regional copyright issues (including proposed new free trade agreements and APEC work)
  • Copyright and trade
  • Copyright aspects of other intellectual property legislation
  • Enforcement issues
  • IP and protection of arts and cultural expressions of Indigenous people
  • WTO copyright issues
  • Resale royalty
  • Review of the criminal offence provisions

International and Projects Section

The International and Projects Section is responsible for the following tasks:

  • Co-ordination of work on the implementation of the copyright aspects of the Australia - US Free Trade Agreement
  • Australia’s participation in WIPO activities
  • Broadcast royalties for sound recordings
  • CLRC Report into the Jurisdiction and Procedures of the Copyright Tribunal
  • Collective administration of copyright
  • CLRC Report on Crown Copyright
  • Ergas Report Review of intellectual property legislation under the Competition Principles Agreement
  • Fair Use and Copyright Exceptions Review
  • Film directors' rights
  • Hague Convention work
  • International copyright regulations
  • Moral rights
  • Performers' rights
  • Term of copyright protection
  • Statutory licences and related issues

Commonwealth Copyright Section

The Commonwealth Copyright Section is responsible for the following tasks:

  • ANAO report on intellectual property policy and practices in Government
  • Commonwealth Copyright Administration
  • Government practice in management of copyright materials, including copyright in IT systems
  • Whole of Government approach to intellectual property management

Commonwealth Copyright Administration

The Commonwealth Copyright Administration (CCA) is responsible for the management of copyright in published materials on behalf of Commonwealth agencies. The CCA:

  • responds to requests from the public to reproduce Commonwealth copyright material, and 
  • provides administrative advice on the management of copyright materials to Commonwealth agencies.

Requests for permission to reproduce Commonwealth of Australia copyright material can be submitted electronically using the copyright request form on this website or by letter

Legislation for which we are responsible