This section will highlight important points of the Singapore Copyright Law which for staff and students. Please be informed the content in this section is meant for general information. We have linked the overall content to medical school practices by far best possible. It is not interest to be © substitute for legal counsel and does not constitute legal advice.

What are some general information you need to know?

What is copyright?

Simply, it means the right to prevent others from copying a protected material. Only the author of a copyright work has the right to reproduce, publish, communicate and adapt his/her work. Copyright protects the author’s original ‘expression’ to ‘material form’.

When in time does copyright protection arise?

Copyright arises when the work is created by the author.

What are subject matters protected by copyright? (Examples relate to medical schools)

  • Literary works (e.g.: articles in journals or newspapers)
  • Dramatic works
  • Musical works
  • Artistic works (e.g.: drawings of anatomy)
  • Published editions of the above works
  • Sound recordings (e.g.: lectures)
  • Films (e.g.: visual images and sounds recorded)
  • Television and radio broadcasts
  • Cable programmes
  • Performances

Subject matters not protected by copyright includes ideas, concepts, discoveries, procedures, methods, Works or other subject matter that have not be made in a tangible form in a recording or writing and Subject matter that is not of original authorship

What is the duration of copyright by type of material?

Depending on the type of copyright work concerned. Refer to terms of protection for more details.

When does exclusive rights apply to the author’s work?

The person who created their work (i.e. the author) owns the copyright in the work. Refer to rights of a copyright owner, ownership and protection of copyright for more details.

Read more about attribution to the author’s works and its implication.

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What are exceptions to copyright infringement?

Fair dealing exception. Factors under s. 35(2) determined by the court include:

  • the purpose and character of the dealing (e.g. commercial or non-profit educational purposes)
  • the nature of the work
  • the amount and substantiality of the part copied in relation to the whole work
  • the effect of the dealing upon the potential market for, or value of, the work
  • the possibility of obtaining the work within a reasonable time at an ordinary commercial price.

Refer to this sample query below:

copyright-email-query

(Click image to zoom)

E-mail Reply…

Q: Currently, I’ve e-mailed the concerned personnel but they have not replied me if I can use the ultrasound images in my thesis

Answer: It is prudent not to proceed unless you have obtained the copyright owner’s permission to use the images in your thesis. It is best to refrain from infringing the copyright owners’ right to his/her works.

Q: So, can I cite ‘fair dealing’ using the ultrasound images in my thesis report?

Answer: Fair dealing under Singapore law will depend on the number of factors which include:

  • the purpose and character of the dealing (e.g. commercial or non-profit educational purposes)
  • the nature of the work (e.g.: published or unpublished, confidential or can be used by general public?)
  • the amount and substantiality of the part copied in relation to the whole work
  • the effect of the dealing upon the potential market for, or value of, the work
  • the possibility of obtaining the work within a reasonable time at an ordinary commercial price.

These factors will be used to decide whether use of work is considered ‘fair dealing’ under Singapore law.

Q: Can the library produce an official letter to support my thesis indicating ‘fair dealing’ is allowed for user to reproduce the screenshots of the ultrasound images?

Answer: The medical library is unable to grant you permission to use the ultrasound images from the website as we do not hold the copyrights to these images. It is best to obtain permission from the copyright owner to use the images in your theses. As for the use of ‘fair dealing’ it will ultimately be the court who decide if a particular use if considered ‘fair dealing’.

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How do I adhere to copyright when using the Internet?

Good practices include citing the source and the copyright owner to credit and acknowledge their original work. Adhere to good practices when:

             Here’s a tip!

Faculty members can provide their students with the hyperlink of a journal article to refer to for a particular lecture.

Free downloads (e.g.: anatomical images) only means that the images can be downloaded at no cost. However, what users do after they download the free images depends what the copyright owners intend. Similarly, you have to exercise caution when uploading pictures or images from the internet without seeking permission for teaching resources. (Refer to Copyright and the Internet document and Creative Commons license for more information)

“Creative Commons licenses to be applied to all work falling under copyright, including: books, plays, movies, music, articles, photographs, blogs, and websites”

  • Browsing

How do I adhere to good practices when using copyright materials in software and electronic media?

Here are some selected scenarios applicable to our school from the Copyright and the Internet document.  You can refer to this document for more information.

  • using images from legally purchased software (e.g.: citing medical image from subscribed articles)
  • freeware from the internet (e.g. animators)
  • incorporating e-book extracts, sounds and movie clips into teaching resources
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