On 13 August 2020, the Australian Government's Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
announced proposed reforms to simplify and update Australia's
copyright laws1.
What is the purpose of the proposed reforms?
These proposed reforms will aim to better support the needs of
Australians and public institutions to access material in an
increasingly digital world, which have been brought to the
forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic with schools,
universities, cultural institutions and government services having
to deliver essential services online.
The proposed reforms to the Copyright Act
1968 (Cth)2 will also finalise the
Government's Response3 to copyright
recommendations from the 2016 Productivity Commission Inquiry into
Intellectual Property Arrangements4.
