Moral rights for creators

In the past copyright law in Australia has focussed on the economic rights of creators and creative industries. Late in 2000 copyright law was amended to introduce moral rights for creators.This reform recognises the personal connection of creators to their work and the significance of both attribution and creative integrity to their labours.The moral rights package now entitles individual creators:

• to be identified as the creator of the work (the right of attribution);
• to not have their work attributed to someone else (false attribution); and
• to object to any derogatory treatment of their creations, which might harm their honour or reputation (the right of integrity).

In general moral rights apply to all literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, and films which are protected by copyright. Moral rights cannot be waived or assigned like economic rights.

An author can give consent to doing an act with a work that might otherwise infringe his or her moral rights.