IP/N/1/AUS/11, IP/N/1/AUS/C/20

Australia

Copyright Amendment (Disability Access and Other Measures) Act 2017

The Act amends the Copyright Act 1968 to enhance access to copyright material for persons with a disability, consistent with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled ratified by Australia on 10 December 2015; streamline and modernise provisions for the education, libraries and archives sectors of Australia; and harmonise terms of copyright for published and unpublished materials. The Act provides:  Persons with a disability, and others action on their behalf, with a fair dealing exception;  A new, consolidated exception that applies to educational institutions and other not-for-profit organisations assisting persons with a disability; it also:  Modernises the preservation exceptions for copyright material in libraries, archives and key cultural institutions;  Simplifies the statutory licences that allow educational institutions to use works and broadcasts;  Allows copyright material to be incorporated into educational assessments conducted online;  Sets new standard terms of protection for original published and unpublished materials and for Crown copyright in original materials; and  Makes minor amendments to update references to Ministers and preconditions for making regulations extending or restricting the operations of the Act in relation to foreign countries.

Schedule 1 on 22 December 2017 Schedule 2 on 1 January 2019 Schedule 3, Part 1 on 23 June 2017 Schedule 3, Part 2 on 22 December 2017 All other provisions not mentioned in the schedules above on 22 June 2017.

The Copyright Amendment (Disability Access and Other Measures) Act 2017 is also available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017A00049

Department of Communications and the Arts Nishi Building 2 Phillip Law Street Canberra ACT 2601 Telephone: +61 2 6271 1000