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Legal help and information

If you need legal help or advice, many of these organisations have specific creative sector knowledge to help you deal with legal problems or issues.

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Arts Law Centre Australia

Arts Law is Australia's independent national community legal centre for the arts. They provide affordable legal advice, education, and resources to artists and arts organisations across all art forms on matters including contracts, copyright, and employment issues. They also offer targeted services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Individual artists can access free advice based on eligibility, with additional services available through subscription.

Go to Arts Law

Australian Copyright Council

The Australian Copyright Council (ACC) provides expert advice, training, and free information on Australian copyright law. Representing over a million creators, the ACC fosters collaboration between artists of all art forms and consumers, offering resources to help navigate copyright issues.

Go to the ACC

Authors Legal

Authors Legal is a non-profit law firm providing specialised and low-cost legal advice to Australian authors and illustrators. They can assist with: trade publishing agreements, ghost-writing agreements, literary agent and author agreements, author-funded publishing agreements and copyright. Authors Legal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australian Society of Authors.

Go to Authors Legal

Community Legal Centres Australia

Community Legal Centres Australia (CLCA) is the national peak body for the community legal sector. They provide high-quality, free, and accessible legal and other services to everyday people, especially people experiencing financial hardship, discrimination, or domestic or family violence. Community Legal Centres Australia does not provide any legal services to the public. Each state and territory-based member organisations provide information about legal help available in each jurisdiction.

Go to CLCA

Copyright Agency

Copyright Agency collects licence fees for the reuse of text and images and distributes these as copyright royalty payments to their creator members. They are appointed by the Australian Government to manage statutory copyright licences for education and government, and the visual artists' resale royalty scheme. Membership is free and open to all nationally.

Go to Copyright Agency

Fair Work Commission Workplace Advice Service

The Workplace Advice Service organises free legal help for employees and small business employers on employment issues relating unfair dismissal, general protections, and bullying and sexual harassment at work. If you have been dismissed, there is a 21 day time limit for lodging an application.   

Go to FWC Workplace Advice Service

IP Australia

IP Australia is the Australian Government agency that administers intellectual property (IP) rights and legislation for patents, trade marks and design rights. They provide information on how to apply for an IP, how to manage your IP and how to deal with IP infringements.

Go to IP Australia

Live Performance Australia

Live Performance Australia (LPA) is the peak body for Australia's live arts and entertainment industry. LPA provides a range of services, including workplace relations support, advice on pay and employment conditions, and help with Fair Work Commission matters. Free downloadable resources are available to everyone, such as the Code of Practice. Further templates, factsheets and specialised information is only available to paying members.

Go to LPA

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) is Australia's largest union for creative professionals. MEAA primarily serves the TV, theatre, film, journalism and entertainment industries. They offer free resources on workplace rights and contracts, and publish industry rate trackers on their website. MEAA mostly works on a paid membership basis offering various benefits and services to members.

Go to MEAA

Screen Producers Australia

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) represents independent producers of film and television in Australia. SPA provide exclusive industry resources including negotiated agreements, template contracts, guidelines, rates and more for their members. They also advocate on behalf of the industry for the importance of Australian stories

Go to SPA

Young Workers Centre

The Young Workers Centre helps young people learn more about their rights at work and helps to resolve workplace issues in Victoria. They have a team of lawyers, organisers, educators and researchers working to empower young people and end workplace exploitation and insecurity. The Centre produces helpful resources like fact sheets as well as running training days and social events. They provide personalised advice for young people who are dealing unfair dismissal, bullying and harassment at work.

Go to the Young Workers Centre
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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways, and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions. We are privileged to gather on this Country and to share knowledge, culture and art, now and with future generations.

Art by Jordan Lovegrove