Copyright Act 1968

The copyright in an overseas work first published on or after the commencing day is not infringed by a person who, without the licence of the owner of the copyright, imports a non‑infringing book into Australia for a purpose mentioned in paragraph 37(1)(a), (b) or (c).

Subject to this section, the copyright in:

an overseas work first published before the commencing day; or

a work first published in Australia, whether before, on or after the commencing day;

the person had ordered in writing from the copyright owner, or the owner’s licensee or agent, one or more copies of that version of the book (not being second‑hand copies or more copies than were needed to satisfy the person’s reasonable requirements); and

when the person ordered the imported copy, the original order mentioned in paragraph (c) had not been withdrawn or cancelled by, or with the consent of, the person and:

at least 7 days had elapsed since the person placed the original order and the copyright owner, licensee or agent had not notified the person in writing that the original order would be filled within 90 days after it was placed; or

at least 90 days had elapsed since the person placed the original order and the copyright owner, licensee or agent had not filled the order.

The copyright in a published work (whether first published before, on or after the commencing day) is not infringed by a person who, without the licence of the owner of the copyright, imports a single copy of a non‑infringing book into Australia if the importation is for the purpose of filling a written order, or a verifiable telephone order, by a customer of the person and:

in the case of a written order, the order contains a statement, signed by the customer; or

in the case of a telephone order, the customer makes a verifiable statement;

The copyright in a published work (whether first published before, on or after the commencing day) is not infringed by a person who, without the licence of the owner of the copyright, imports 2 or more copies of a non‑infringing book into Australia if:

the importation is for the purpose of filling a written order, or a verifiable telephone order, placed with the person by or on behalf of a library, other than a library conducted for the profit (direct or indirect) of a person or organisation; and

in the case of a written order—the order contains a statement, signed by the person placing the order, to the effect that the library does not intend to use any of the books for a purpose mentioned in paragraph 37(1)(a), (b) or (c); and

in the case of a telephone order—the person placing the order makes a verifiable statement to the effect referred to in paragraph (b); and

the number of copies so imported is not more than the number of copies so ordered.

Without limiting the ways in which a telephone order under subsection (3) or (4), or a statement under paragraph (3)(b) or (4)(c) relating to such an order, may be verified, such an order or statement is, for the purposes of this section, taken to be verifiable if the person who takes the order, or to whom the statement is made, makes a written note of the details of the order or statement when, or immediately after, the order is placed, or the statement is made, as the case may be.

Where:

a book is imported into Australia for a purpose mentioned in paragraph 37(1)(a), (b) or (c); and

the importation does not, under this section, constitute an infringement of copyright in a published work;

Subsection (2) does not apply to the importation of a copy of a hardback version of a non‑infringing book into Australia if the copyright owner, or his or her licensee or agent, is able to supply in Australia enough copies of a paperback version of the book to fill any reasonable order.

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(d), a copyright owner, licensee or agent is not taken to have filled an order by a person for one or more copies of a version of a book unless and until the copyright owner, licensee or agent sends the copy, or all of the copies, as the case requires, to the person.

In this section:

a book whose main content is one or more musical works, with or without any related literary, dramatic or artistic work; or

a manual sold with computer software for use in connection with that software; or

a periodical publication.

that was first published in a country other than Australia; and

that was not published in Australia within 30 days after its first publication in that other country.

A work may, for the purposes of this Act, be first published in Australia if it is published in Australia within 30 days of an earlier publication elsewhere. For the meaning of first publication, see section 29 and, in particular, subsection 29(5).