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# Australian courts decide "No Copyright in Newspaper Headlines"
- URL: https://katecarruthers.com/no-copyright-in-newspaper-headlines/
- Published: 2010-09-09T00:43:05.000Z
- Updated: 2010-09-09T00:43:05.000Z
- Author: Kate Carruthers
- Tags: ideas, business, internet, legal, publication, #Migrated-1775015344493, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-04-01 14:49

It is interesting to read through the notes on this recent decision by the Federal Court of Australia. It's worth reading the entire post on [Mallesons' site](http://www.mallesons.com/publications/2010/Sep/10473860W.htm?ref=katecarruthers.com) or even the judgement [here on AUSTLII](http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/FCA/2010/984.html?ref=katecarruthers.com).

It looks like the traditional news media are losing ground on their ambit claims to own everything ;)

As Mallesons so neatly summarise it:

> "The Federal Court of Australia today decided that copyright did not subsist in newspaper headlines. See Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v. Reed International Books Australia Pty Ltd \[2010\] FCA 984\. This is the first time anywhere in the world that a common law court has fully considered and decided this issue."

and

> "Businesses that abstract and summarise the works of others will be able to continue to use the title or headline of the original source when citing the original source."

via [No Copyright in Newspaper Headlines - 7 September 2010](http://www.mallesons.com/publications/2010/Sep/10473860W.htm?ref=katecarruthers.com).