Using Material on the Internet for Research and Study Purposes
Be Careful: Material on the internet is NOT 'copyright free'. Copyright applies to material on the internet just as it does to print and audiovisual materials, even if it does not have a copyright statement. Sometimes material is placed illegally on the internet and by further copying it, you too are committing an offence. File sharing ripped MP3 files through peer to peer sites is an example of illegal copying.
Check: Internet sites often outline the use conditions for copying their content, such as that you are free to use the content for educational purposes. Check for these under headings such as 'Copyright', 'Terms of Use', 'About this site' or 'Legals'. These conditions may be to your advantage, but are not legally binding unless you have entered into a contract by clicking 'I Agree' or entering in a password. Should a password be required to access a site, or if you are required to click 'I Agree' to access the site, then you must either abide by the terms and conditions of access, or obtain an exemption from them by contacting the site's owner.
Use cautiously: Where internet sites are freely accessible to anyone and not password-protected, you are able to rely on the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act, to use the material for fair dealing purposes. This means that you may copy certain quantities from a web site: For literary and text based materials, your copying should be guided by what is considered reasonable in the print equivalent, which is one periodical article, one chapter of a book or 10 per cent of the words. It can be difficult to judge how much is 10 per cent because the extent and size of a web site can be difficult to determine, but you should try to copy only what is reasonable and only what you need. Alternatively you could seek permission to copy by emailing the site's owner.
Artistic works can be copied in their entirety for educational purposes. Unfortunately this does not include animations or moving images which are considered films.
If you need to copy music, film, video or other audio-visual material from the internet for educational purposes, you are advised to check first with the Copyright Office.
If you are using the material for your own individual use under 'Fair dealing for research and study' you can make a single copy. However if your purpose is 'Fair use for criticism or review' you may make multiple copies. For example, you could provide fellow students in your tutorial group with a copy of the image or extract if you are reviewing the work.
Always attribute: Web material that you use should be properly cited and the UNE Referencing Guide will help with this. Note that citations for material from the internet require a URL and date accessed.
Respect: If you create your own website, you should not reproduce material from another website without permission, but you can generally link to it. Nevertheless you need to be careful about where you link on the other site. Most website owners prefer you to link to their home page, so that users do not bypass any copyright statement or advertising material. You are advised to check the website's Terms of Use, or seek permission from the owner of the site if you want to link within their site.
Know the rules: Material which does not support the educational purposes of the University must not be downloaded, copied or communicated using University equipment or computer networks. See: 'Rules for the Use of University of New England Computing and Communications Facilities'.