Copyright Amendment

“In conclusion, this bill strengthens Australia's copyright system by making it more responsive to contemporary realities while preserving the fundamental balance at its heart. It supports creators by maintaining strong rights and remedies; it supports creators and students by providing clarity and certainty; it supports cultural institutions by unlocking access to orphan materials; and it supports the Australian community by promoting the diffusion of knowledge, culture and learning. This is thoughtful reform. It is careful reform. It is reform whose time has come. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Feb 2026

“This bill quite rightly strengthens and modernises the Copyright Act. I commend the work of both the former attorney-general and the current Attorney-General, the Hon. Michelle Rowland, in bringing this before the parliament. I commend this bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Feb 2026

“This bill is a good example of practical reform. It backs our creative and media sectors by keeping rights clear and enforceable. It supports education by making sure teaching can happen confidently, whether students are in the classroom or learning from home and whether parents or community members are helping. And it supports public access to culture and history by unlocking orphan works in a responsible way so that our communities can see more of their own stories and our institutions can share more of what they hold in trust for all of us, and, as I've said, that's particularly important in my community of Griffith. This is balanced, proportionate reform. It is grounded in consultation and will deliver real benefits in Griffith and right across Australia.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Feb 2026

“The Copyright Amendment Bill incorporates two important reforms to facilitate the use of copyright materials for public benefit, while also continuing to provide support to those working in the creative and media industries who rely on copyright for their work.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 05 Feb 2026

“The bill will also strengthen and modernise the Copyright Act through various minor and technical amendments to simplify, update and clarify certain provisions. I thank the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, expertly chaired by Senator Jana Stewart, for its inquiry into the bill over the recent months. The government agrees with the committee's sole recommendation that the bill be passed.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“Copyright laws must support Australian creators, protect the value of their work and encourage innovation and learning. This bill broadly achieves those aims. The bill is measured and responsible. We will not oppose the bill in the House, and we are very likely to support the bill in the Senate based on the findings of the Senate inquiry. We will continue to push for clarity around key terms, including 'reasonably diligent search' and 'reasonable payment', and we will continue to defend the rights of Australian creators against any attempt to open the door to unauthorised AI training. These reforms are practical, incremental and beneficial. They do not alter the fundamentals of copyright. They do not diminish creators' rights, and they deliver long-sought clarity for teachers, students and cultural institutions.”

Liberal National Party • MP • 03 Feb 2026

“So I support the modern, practical copyright laws that balance the user access with creator protection. Those wonderful artists, musicians and people who are creating all sorts of things need our protection and need to continue what they're doing. But I think the change to the law, which I commend the government for, that allows educators to be able to use some of this material, and the orphan program, are positive steps. I just would urge the government to see if there's a workaround where we could get the educators to be able to record that, hold it for a very short period of time and only use it for the students that missed the class and can watch it within the week or something like that and get the benefit of that education. But otherwise I commend the bill to the House.”

National Party • MP • 03 Feb 2026

“More broadly, this bill sits within a wider conversation about how copyright interacts with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. These are complex and evolving issues. Whilst this legislation does take some steps forward—and that is why we are supporting it—it is unlikely to be the final word. For that reason, the coalition emphasises the importance of ongoing scrutiny and accountability. We will be closely monitoring the implementation of this legislation, and we want to ensure that: the orphan works scheme operates as intended, without disadvantage in the rights of holders; educational provisions are applied fairly and responsively; and creators and industries continue to receive strong protection under Australian law.”

Liberal Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“The bill does not address the major concern about copyright law, which is using copyright material to train AI. Under the Copyright Act 1968, teaching and AI on copyrighted works generally requires permission or a licence from the copyright owner. Reproducing producing substantial parts of copyrighted works in an AI's output, such as quoting long excerpts or reproducing poems or images is usually an infringement. The exception is a narrow fair-use exception for academic and news purposes. Where this becomes a problem is in areas of search where the old ten blue links in Google's page of search results have been replaced with an AI answer, which uses information from a copyrighted website, generally removing the need to visit the site. Many artificial intelligence sites—ChatGPT being a major offender—will use data from a copyrighted site to answer a user question and even make recommendations for which website to use based on the data from a different site. The issue of AI appropriating copyrighted works or copyrighted webpages is an issue that will need to be addressed in the near future. One Nation will support this bill.”

Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026