Can I adapt or modify someone elses artwork to create my own artwork without breaching copyright? What degree of modification is required before a breach of copyright is not occurring?
A. This is not an easy question to answer and each case would need to be considered on its merits. Factors to be taken into consideration in deciding whether a modification remains a copy of the original might include whether or how much of the original artwork remains recognisable in the modification. If the modification is arguably still a copy, there is no breach of copyright involved in copying the modification, as long as the copying is done under the provisions of the Part VB licence. As a result of the recently introduced moral rights provisions of the Copyright Act, modifications which might adversely affect the integrity or reputation of the particular author or artist should be avoided. Q. Can the university copy a film still published in a book, and a film still copied on a postcard, and use them in a brochure to explain and advertise a course? A. A film still is an artistic work and can be copied under the Part VB licence if the copying is for the educational purposes of th
