Copyright for teaching staff

When choosing readings, images, and other materials for your unit, it's important to consider copyright. The CDU library can help you find sources, check copyright or licensing conditions, and assist you with adding materials to the Readings List (the system used at CDU to manage readings through Learnline). 

Here are some ways to select copyright-compliant material: 

Using Library-licensed materials 

The Library subscribes to eBooks, journals, streaming media, and databases. These are licensed specifically for educational use. These resources can be linked in your unit Reading List, or a persistent link can be used to guide students to the source. The licence of the source may affect how students can use it, for example, the number of users who can view it simultaneously or if they can download the resource. Chat with your librarian about your textbook or Reading List for further information about licensing options. 

Using publicly available material 

If the information is publicly available, you can link to it via a Reading List. This avoids copyright risk by uploading directly to Learnline. Examples could include linking to a YouTube Video, a government report, or the Australian Bureau of Statistics website. 

Use open and openly licensed resources 

You can also use Open Educational Resources (OER) and other openly licensed material, some of which will have a Creative Commons Licence, which explains how you can reuse, adapt and share depending on the licence terms. 

Other Considerations:

• Where possible, link to the source, rather than reproducing. 
• Restrict the material to students enrolled in your unit, for example, by using a Reading List that is only available to students in the unit. 
• Only copy a limited amount of text and images for teaching purposes, for example, only what is essential to achieving learning outcomes. 
• Avoid providing too much content so that the resources would not need to be purchased. For example, uploading significant chapters of a book. 
• Always acknowledge and attribute sources. 

Copyright compliance can depend on context. Contact the library for information specific to your circumstances. 

A copyright notice must be used when making copyright material available to students online for teaching purposes (for example, via email, Learnline, or within a PowerPoint presentation). There are limits on the amount and type of material that can be copied. 

• The copyright notice in the format given below. 
• Display prominently so that students see it before or at the same time as the material.
  • For example:
    • on the first slide of a PowerPoint
    • on the cover page of a PDF
    • immediately before the material appears on screen

Where teaching materials are provided via Reading List the notice may be applied automatically.

Copyright notice for PowerPoint

Add this image to a slide at the beginning of the presentation. 

• Copyright notice for PowerPoint

Copyright notice for handouts

Add the name of your faculty and unit code and name, the context of the course for which the materials were made, for example, Lecture 2, tutorial exercise, semester 2, 2026. Include the copyright notice at the start of the handout. 

• Copyright notice for handouts

Copyright notice requirements for music recordings and markings

Information about the recording should be displayed either on the recording or labelled. The recordings should be marked with:

• The title of each musical work,
• The name of the composer and arranger of the music,
• If the recording contains an ARIA sound recording, 
• The artist/group name,
• Record company label (if there is one). 

A notice should be added when recordings are made and shared with staff and students, for example, via Learnline.

• Copyright notice for recordings