Receiving an offer from a publisher is an exciting moment. Nothing quite compares to the thrill of knowing that one day your work may be seen in print.

We Aussies like to shorten everything. So, it comes as no surprise that the Australian Domain Administration (auDA) has announced plans to make available a shortened Australian country domain by releasing a brand new second-level domain (2LD) for eligible Australian businesses – the highly anticipated <.au> namespace.

A new report on the economic contribution of Australia’s copyright industries identifies software developers and advertising services as high performing copyright industries.

Whether you are a creative about to enter into a book deal or an editor looking to commission, acquire or licence an existing literary work for publication, an understanding of copyright is essential.

What do you say when a client asks you to own the intellectual property in the design work you create for them?  Do you take a step back aghast at their audacity?  Are you confused or suspicious as to what they are after and why?  Do you flat out refuse?  Or do you agree but don’t really understand what you have agreed to?

Consider the branding that your business or organisation uses and the photographs and images it employs on packaging and products, on its website and in brochures and advertising materials.

Do you own these images or have a licence to use them? A recent Federal Court case highlights how easily the copyright subsisting in such photographs can be overlooked.