Intellectual property and copyright

The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) is responsible for the administration of Crown Copyright and other intellectual property in the Queensland Government.  However, some Queensland Government agencies may authorise the use of copyright materials that are created within their own agency.

Do I need to apply for permission?
You will not need permission if what you are using is not a distinctive part of the copyright material. e.g. a short quote or a short extract (excluding photographs, diagrams etc).  Nor do you require permission if an exception to infringement applies, such as one of the 'fair dealing' (e.g. research or study) exceptions.  More information can be obtained through the Australian Copyright Council Online Information Centre.

How do I apply for permission to reproduce Queensland Government material?

• Start by finding out which Queensland Government organisation has created the material (e.g. check out the copyright notices on the publication, website, DVD etc).  If you are unsure, please contact Crown.copyright@qld.gov.au for assistance.
• Look up the Queensland Government organisation's contact details and contact the agency.
• You'll need to provide the following details:
  - title of the publication/cd-rom/computer program/photograph/website etc
  - exact page numbers/website address of the material you wish to reproduce
  - short description of how you want to use the material (e.g. family history publication, part of training materials etc.)
• If you are using the copyright material in a commercial application, please remember that fees and/or royalties may apply.

Copyright and Queensland Government websites
The copyright notices on the footer of Queensland Government websites provide you with contact details about the Queensland Government agency's copyright material and a statement about how the materials in the website may be reproduced. 

Don? t forget that  the copyright notice relates to the website itself - that is, the layout of the website and some content material.  However, additional copyright materials published on the website (e.g. publications in PDF or word format, images, diagrams, videos etc) may have separate copyright notices which may override the general copyright notice.

How do I know if copyright applies?
If you are unsure if copyright applies to the material, you should contact the contact person in the website copyright notice.

Can I use a logo or trademark?
If you wish to use a logo or trade mark (e.g. Queensland Government logo) which appears on a Queensland Government website, you must seek permission in writing.

Could copyright have expired?
Government copyright expires 50 years from the date of first publication.  If copyright has expired, this means the material is in the public domain and you do not have to ask permission to reproduce it.

Queensland public sector intellectual property guidelines
To assist agencies in the management and commercialisation of their intellectual property portfolios, the Department has released the Queensland Public Sector Intellectual Property Guidelines and the Queensland Public Sector Intellectual Property Principles.

Innovation and science strategy
Science strategy, a branch within DEEDI, is the secretariat to the Administrator (Crown Copyright and Other Intellectual Property) and provides administrative support to this position.  It can provide assistance in relation to the following:

• advice on policy relating to Crown Copyright and other intellectual property
• assistance with administrative and policy issues relating to management and commercialisation of intellectual property
• assistance with training and awareness programs on intellectual property
• information, administration and support relating to beneficial use delegations
• information and coordination of whole-of-Government intellectual property issues impacting Queensland Government stemming from the Commonwealth Government.

The Administrator (Crown Copyright and other intellectual property) has established the Queensland Government IP Register, a searchable database which can be accessed by both the government and community to seek out intellectual property which the Queensland Government owns or has developed. The Queensland Government IP Register is currently being populated by each of the departments of the Queensland Government (and other relevant stakeholders) and will continue to be updated on a regular basis.

Queensland Government contacts for intellectual property provides a list of contact persons in various Queensland Government agencies for intellectual property matters including copyright.

For more information on Crown Copyright and other intellectual property contact:

Science policy and commercialisation
Administrator (Crown Copyright and other IP)
Phone: +61 7 3224 7891
Fax: +61 7 3237 0320
Email: crown.copyright@qld.gov.au