Fair use of copyrighted content

[zackarii]

Australia seems to have a lax attitude to print copyright. I belong to a community group, one member of which raised her experience as the author, publisher and only retailer of her books. These books have all turned up on the National Library of Australia webite FOR SALE in their entirety as pdf from NLA. This is despite the clause “not to be entered into any retrieval system or data base without (author’s) permission.” She contacted NLA but didn’t receive any reply of substance, then escalated it to her Federal member who passed on a 4 page reply basically saying “they have the right to do this”. She also noted that half the libraries that held her book did not buy it from her - although it is possible these copies were bought privately and donated. One of her works is “Australians Behind the Camera : directory of early Australian photographers, 1841 to 1945” Vol 1 & 2, Barrie, Sandy, if anyone wants to look. She also claims a manuscript that was provided to a researcher at the National Gallery appeared in Google Books before she could publish. Would “Fair Use” curtail this? or has the horse bolted already? Unfortunately I am not sufficiently knowledgeable with regard to Australian Copyright law. I seem to remember there was a recent ruling on Google Book’s right to reproduce books which was defended as only allowing a “fair use”, limited pages view.