Copyright

As students and staff at WITT, you must abide by Copyright laws as defined in the Copyright Act 1994 and subsequent amendments.

When you access information from any database that WITT subscribes to, you agree to their terms and conditions. This overwrites any entitlements from the Act. This means that your entitlements under the Act do not apply, only the terms and conditions of the database you are accessing.

What is Copyright?

Copyright refers to the rights of an author or creator and is automatically given to control the copying, distribution and adaptation of their work. It also spells out your entitlements as users of copyright works.

The following works are covered:

• literary works including text such as emails, training manuals, novels and song lyrics; tables and compilations including multimedia works, and computer programs
• dramatic works including dance, mime and film scenarios or scripts
• musical works including the score and sheet music
• artistic works including paintings, drawings, diagrams, maps, models, photographs and sculptures
• sound recordings separate to the actual music or story
• films for any genre or format, separate from the underlying script, music or broadcast
• communication works including radio and television broadcasts and internet webcasts
• typographical arrangements of published editions covering the layout of the edition derived from a complete or partial literary, dramatic or musical work.

How Long Does Copyright last?

Copyright last for 50 years from the end of the year of the death of the author.

If the author is a corporate body/organisation (e.g. World Health Organization), then copyright lasts 100 years from the date of creation.

Copyright is automatic and does not have to be registered and the copyright symbol does not have to appear on a work for it to be protected.