Employing Copyright: Permitted Copyright uses, Dealings in Works and Competition

No authority is needed to perform acts falling into the public domain.1 Even acts prima facie within the sphere of copyright protection may be ‘excused’ by the statute, thereby allowing certain specified dealings with copyright works. These are known as ‘permitted acts’, and represent a detailed attempt to reconcile the conflict between the private, personal interests and rights copyright authors have in their creations and the public interest in access to those works.2