Copyright Act 1994

Description, ownership, and duration of copyright - Description of copyright

16: Acts restricted by copyright

You could also call this:

"What you can and can't do with someone else's copyrighted work"

You have exclusive rights as the owner of a copyright in a work. You can do certain acts in New Zealand, as stated in sections 30 to 34. These acts include copying the work, issuing copies to the public, and performing the work in public. You can also play the work in public, show the work in public, and communicate the work to the public. You can make an adaptation of the work and do any of the acts in relation to an adaptation. You can authorise another person to do any of these acts. These rules apply, but there are some exceptions, as stated in Parts 3 and 8.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM345923.

This page was last updated on 3 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Arts and culture > Heritage protectionBusiness > Intellectual property

15: Recording necessary for some works, or

"Some works need to be written down or recorded to have copyright protection."

17: Qualification for copyright, or

"What you need to do to get copyright protection"

Part 1Description, ownership, and duration of copyright
Description of copyright

16Acts restricted by copyright

The owner of the copyright in a work has the exclusive right to do, in accordance with sections 30 to 34, the following acts in New Zealand:
to copy the work:
to issue copies of the work to the public, whether by sale or otherwise:
to perform the work in public:
to play the work in public:
to show the work in public:
to communicate the work to the public:
to make an adaptation of the work:
to do any of the acts referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (f) in relation to an adaptation of the work:
to authorise another person to do any of the acts referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (h).

Subsection (1) applies subject to Parts 3 and 8.

Compare

1962 No 33 ss 6(1), 7(3), 7(4), 13(5), 14(5), 17(3)

Notes

Section 16(1)(f): substituted, on 31 October 2008, by section 12 of the Copyright (New Technologies) Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 27).