Who owns the copyright on materials?
Australian law upholds the ‘Copyright Act 1968’. This Act covers all kinds of written and published materials, computer programs, musical, dramatic and artistic works, as well as film, television, broadcasts and performances. There are no exceptions. Copyright rests with the creator. They have the right to have the work attributed to them and can take action if their work is falsely attributed, distorted or treated in any way that may reflect on their reputation adversely. Protection of work is automatic. A work does not have to have a copyright symbol or notice on it to be protected. Protection extends to foreign copyright owners as well. Designers hold the copyright to the materials they create, unless they agree to ‘assign’ such rights to someone else. If you are concerned, you can negotiate to buy the ‘assign’ so that you become the copyright holder. This is best done at the beginning of a project so both parties understand the agreement.
