Australia’s copyright legislation includes a number of statutory (compulsory) licences.
These provisions allow uses of copyright material without the permissions usually required, provided the user has undertaken to pay fair compensation to the copyright owners.
Where a statutory licence applies, a copyright owner cannot prevent the use of their work. They are entitled to fair compensation for the loss of opportunity to set their own licence terms, or to refuse a licence.
In most cases, fair compensation is negotiated between the copyright owner and the user of their material. If negotiations fail, either party can apply to the Copyright Tribunal.
Statutory licences in Australia’s copyright legislation include:
| Statutory licence allows | Managed by |
| Copying and communicating for educational purposes | Copyright Agency for text, images and print music |
| Any use for government purposes | Copyright Agency for text, images and print music |
| Retransmission of free-to-air broadcasts | Screenrights |
| Broadcasting of sound recordings | PPCA |
| Recording cover versions of musical works | APRA AMCOS |
1 April 2022
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