Copyright Amendment Bill 2026; Third Reading

Summary

This amendment to the Copyright Act 1968 creates a new 'orphan works' scheme that lets people legally use creative material (books, films, artworks, etc.) when the copyright owner cannot be found, as long as they've done a thorough search first and give proper notice. It also clarifies that teachers can use copyrighted material in online classes the same way they can in physical classrooms, and that community members or parents can help with these lessons without affecting copyright rules. The changes solve a real problem: valuable cultural and historical works in Australian libraries and archives have become locked away because nobody knows who owns them anymore, preventing researchers, students, and educators from accessing them, while also potentially helping copyright owners reclaim income from works they've lost track of.

What happens at this stage

The final vote in this chamber on the bill as a whole, after all amendments have been considered. If it passes, the bill moves to the other chamber to go through the same process. If both chambers have already agreed to identical text, the bill proceeds directly to Royal Assent.

Next: The other chamber, which runs the same process from First Reading, or Royal Assent if both chambers have already agreed