Copyright Guidelines

Copyright is the exclusive right to do certain acts in relation to the copyrighted work. In Singapore this includes the right to reproduce, publish, perform, communicate and adapt the work.

Using a copyright work without permission may constitute copyright infringement, and such infringement may lead to legal action by the copyright owner.

If you photocopy, reproduce or make an adaptation of a copy of the owner's work without the owner's permission, you have infringed the owner’s copyright unless you copy under the following circumstances:

• You copy a published edition of a work for the purposes of your own self-study, completion of assignments or research:

(i) where the work is in print form and comprises 10 pages or more, you may copy up to 10% of the total number of pages of the work or, if the work is divided into chapters, 1 chapter of the work;

(ii) where the work is an electronic edition, you may copy up to 10% of the total number of bytes or words in the work or, if the work is divided into chapters, 1 chapter of the work;

(iii) where the work is in a periodical publication you may copy up to 1 article (another article may only be copied if it relates to the same subject matter in a periodical publication).

• You copy a work after its copyright protection has expired. In the case of literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works, the duration of Singapore copyright protection is generally the lifetime of the author plus 70 years, after which the work is in the public domain.


• You read or recite an extract of reasonable length from a published literary or dramatic work, or an adaptation of such a work for the purpose of criticism and review and give sufficient acknowledgement of the work. Acknowledgement is sufficient if it identifies the author and the work by its title in a clear and reasonably prominent manner.

 You are personally responsible for adhering to all copyright laws. Additional information can be found at the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore website:
IPOS | Copyright Resources. Any failure to observe copyright laws may expose you to criminal and/or civil liability.