Smartcopying

| Next Page

This information sheet is for TAFE staff who create or compile resources for students and for TAFE resource development units. It explains how to attribute text and artistic works published by and for TAFE. This includes workbooks and handouts, as well as photographs, diagrams or charts that are incorporated into other resources.

There are many reasons to attribute teaching resources:

• To ensure that TAFE does not pay to copy material that it owns or has permission to use. If material is not properly attributed, the TAFE sector may end up paying to use material that it owns or has permission to use.
• Assist with the distribution of copyright royalties under the statutory licence scheme. Including the name of the creator and copyright owner of a work will help ensure that the author and/or copyright owner receive royalties to which they are entitled.
• Lead students by example. Students should learn how to attribute material they have used in their work and need to understand why attribution is important. Teachers should set an example by properly attributing all their teaching material.
• If TAFE institutes intend to commercialise their resources, proper attribution and professional presentation is essential.
• Moral rights legislation creates a general obligation to attribute the creator of material, unless it is reasonable in the circumstances not to attribute. The author may not be the same person as the copyright owner.

 This information sheet provides some general examples of how to attribute teaching resources. In some cases, your institute or jurisdiction may have its own policies about what form of attribution should be used. It is a good idea to check with your institute or jurisdiction before following the examples included in this information sheet.

It is very important to note that some form of attribution should appear on every page of teaching resources. Where teaching resources materials are in a digital format, the digital version, as well as every page that is able to be printed out, must be attributed.

Attributing Material Owned by TAFE

If you publish material that is owned by TAFE, you must attribute the material in the footer of each page with the copyright symbol, name of institute or organisation and year of publication.

See additional examples in Attachment A. 

Why Do We Need to Attribute Material Owned by TAFE?

Material created by TAFE is a valuable asset, and it is important to properly identify it. It is also essential to clearly attribute TAFE owned material so that TAFE does not pay copyright royalties to the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) to copy its own material. Every year TAFE pays CAL significant amounts of copyright royalties, and it is possible that some of these royalties are for copying of material owned by TAFE.

How Do We Know if the Material is Owned by TAFE?

TAFE owns copyright in all material created by TAFE employees as part of their duties. TAFE also owns copyright in material created by someone else, where that person or organisation has agreed in writing to assign copyright in material they create to the TAFE. For example, a company engaged to write a module on refrigeration, might have been required to assign copyright in the module to TAFE as part of its contract of engagement.

Why Can’t We Just Include the Name of the Author?

The author is often different from the copyright owner, and, irrespective of whether you include the name of the author, it is important to include the copyright information set out above so that CAL knows that copyright in the material is owned by TAFE and should not be counted in the survey.

Back to top

| Next Page