Copyright, Intellectual Property & Content Republishing Policy

1. Introduction

VALCORED News Network recognises that journalism depends on original reporting, research, photography, writing, creative production and responsible use of third-party information.

Copyright and other intellectual property rights play an important role in protecting the work of journalists, photographers, publishers, artists and other creators.

Our Copyright, Intellectual Property & Content Republishing Policy explains the principles governing ownership, permitted use, attribution, licensing, republication and copyright complaints involving material published by VNN.

We are committed to respecting the legitimate rights of original creators while supporting lawful quotation, reporting, criticism, research and public discussion.

2. Purpose

This policy establishes standards concerning:

• Original VNN journalism.
• Copyright ownership.
• Third-party articles and news agency material.
• Photographs, graphics, video and audio.
• Source attribution.
• Website branding and identity.
• Republishing permissions.
• Commercial licensing.
• RSS feeds and automated extraction.
• Artificial intelligence and transformed content.
• Copyright complaints and takedown requests.
• Applicable copyright exceptions.

3. Scope

This policy applies to protected material appearing on VNN’s website or distributed through its authorised services.

It also governs the use of third-party material by VNN’s journalists, editors, contributors, contractors and authorised representatives.

The policy must be interpreted in accordance with applicable copyright laws, licences and agreements.

4. Ownership of Original VNN Content

Unless otherwise indicated, original material created for VNN may be owned by the legal publisher, an individual creator or another rights holder according to applicable law and contractual arrangements.

Protected material may include:

• Original articles.
• Investigative reports.
• Editorial analysis.
• Interviews.
• Photographs.
• Illustrations.
• Videos.
• Audio recordings.
• Original graphics.
• Website design elements.
• Commissioned creative works.
• Original editorial databases or compilations, where protected.
• Other qualifying creative material.

The appearance of material under the VNN brand does not automatically establish that VNN owns every copyright interest in it.

Relevant employment agreements, contributor contracts, licences and statutory rules determine ownership.

5. Third-Party Copyright Ownership

VNN may publish or refer to material originating from other organisations.

Such material may include content produced by:

• News agencies.
• Independent journalists.
• Photographers.
• Government departments.
• Research institutions.
• Broadcasters.
• Professional publishers.
• Social media creators.
• Commercial image libraries.
• Contributors and members of the public.

Copyright generally remains with the relevant owner unless validly transferred or otherwise determined by law.

VNN’s publication of such material does not automatically transfer ownership to VNN.

6. Australian Copyright Law

Copyright in Australia is principally governed by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

Copyright protection generally arises automatically when qualifying original material is created or recorded.

Registration is not normally required to obtain copyright protection in Australia.

Protected material may include literary works, artistic works, films, sound recordings and other categories recognised by law.

Certain uses may be permitted through statutory exceptions, including specific fair dealing provisions.

Whether a particular use is lawful depends on the nature and circumstances of that use.

7. Fair Dealing for Reporting News

Australian copyright law provides a fair dealing exception for certain uses associated with reporting news.

However, this exception is not an unrestricted permission to copy any material found online.

Relevant considerations may include:

• The purpose of the use.
• The type and amount of material reproduced.
• Whether the dealing is fair.
• Applicable attribution requirements.
• Whether the use genuinely concerns news reporting.
• The relevant statutory provisions.
• The circumstances of the original publication.

Other lawful exceptions may apply in appropriate situations.

VNN will not assume that identifying a source or rewriting an article automatically makes reproduction lawful.

8. Source Attribution Is Not a Substitute for Permission

Proper attribution is an essential journalistic practice.

However, naming the original creator does not necessarily authorise copying their work.

Examples of potentially problematic conduct include:

• Reproducing a complete copyrighted article without permission or a valid exception.
• Downloading an externally published photograph and using it without appropriate rights.
• Removing a publisher’s watermark.
• Reproducing a commercial graphic.
• Republishing protected video footage outside its licence.
• Copying substantial expressive elements of another work without lawful justification.

Where permission or a licence is required, VNN should obtain it before publication.

9. Republishing VNN Articles

Readers and other organisations may share links to publicly available VNN articles.

However, commercial or substantial republication of protected VNN material may require authorisation from the relevant rights holder.

Requests may concern:

• Full-article republication.
• Newspaper or magazine syndication.
• Commercial newsletters.
• Educational compilations.
• Translation rights.
• Video licensing.
• Commercial archival products.
• News databases.
• Broadcast adaptation.
• Other substantial reuse.

Any licence should identify the material, permitted uses, duration, territory and applicable conditions.

Content Licensing Contact

10. Quoting and Referencing VNN Reporting

VNN supports lawful quotation, criticism, discussion and other permitted use of its work.

Where material is quoted, accurate attribution should ordinarily identify the relevant author and publication.

The extent of permissible quotation depends on applicable law and any licensing terms.

There is no general rule that a particular fixed percentage of every article may always be copied without permission.

A quotation should not be altered in a way that materially misrepresents its original meaning.

11. Headlines, Facts and Original Expression

Copyright law distinguishes between underlying facts and protected expression.

Facts themselves are not generally owned through copyright merely because a journalist reported them.

However, original written expression, creative presentation, photographs and other protected material may attract legal rights.

The fact that an article concerns public events does not automatically make its wording or associated photographs free for unrestricted reuse.

VNN supports responsible independent reporting of publicly verifiable facts while respecting the protected work of originating publishers.

12. RSS Feeds and Automated Content Extraction

Where VNN makes RSS feeds available, they are intended to support authorised discovery and access.

The availability of a feed does not automatically grant an unrestricted commercial republication licence.

Automated extraction or redistribution of substantial protected content may require permission.

VNN may implement lawful technical measures to manage abusive automated traffic.

Nothing in this policy prohibits copying or access that is expressly permitted under applicable law.

13. Artificial Intelligence and Copyright

AI-assisted rewriting, summarisation, image generation or content transformation may create copyright and attribution concerns.

VNN does not regard the involvement of AI as an automatic defence to copyright infringement.

Editorial personnel should not use AI systems to disguise unauthorised copying of protected reporting.

Substantial third-party source material should be used consistently with applicable licences and copyright exceptions.

AI-generated outputs must be assessed for possible infringement and misleading source attribution.

The rights associated with AI-generated material may depend on the relevant jurisdiction, human contribution and applicable law.

14. Original Reporting and Investigative Work

VNN aims to distinguish its own reporting from investigations undertaken by other publishers.

Where an external organisation first reports significant information, VNN should acknowledge the originating source where appropriate.

A rewritten account must not falsely imply that VNN conducted interviews, reviewed confidential documents or performed original investigations that were actually undertaken elsewhere.

Original reporting and factual verification should be accurately described.

15. Photographs and Editorial Images

Photographs are protected creative material unless an applicable legal rule or licence provides otherwise.

A photograph appearing on social media or a search engine is not automatically free to reuse.

Before publishing an externally sourced photograph, VNN should establish an appropriate basis for its use.

This may include:

• Direct permission.
• An applicable commercial licence.
• A suitable Creative Commons licence.
• Another valid authorisation.
• A lawful statutory exception.

Licence conditions, including relevant attribution and modification restrictions, must be respected.

16. Video, Audio and Broadcast Content

Video and audio materials may involve multiple rights holders.

These may include rights associated with footage, recordings, music, scripts, performances or other elements.

VNN should verify relevant permissions before reproducing or substantially republishing protected material.

Embedding content through an authorised platform feature may raise different rights and technical considerations from downloading and rehosting the material.

The legality of a particular use should be assessed according to its circumstances.

17. Social Media Content

Public visibility on a social media platform does not automatically give VNN unrestricted rights to copy content.

Editorial personnel should consider:

• Copyright ownership.
• Platform terms.
• Available embedding permissions.
• Privacy implications.
• The authenticity of the material.
• Whether the content has been removed or restricted.
• The risks associated with republication.

Screenshots and downloaded media may require additional consideration.

18. Creative Commons and Open Licences

Some creators make material available under licences that permit specified forms of reuse.

VNN should examine the exact licence terms before relying on them.

Conditions may include:

• Attribution.
• Linking to the licence.
• Identification of modifications.
• Restrictions on commercial use.
• Requirements concerning derivative works.
• Share-alike obligations.

Different Creative Commons licences provide different permissions.

The existence of a Creative Commons label does not mean all uses are unrestricted.

19. Government and Public Documents

Government publications, court records and other public documents may be subject to particular copyright and access arrangements.

Their public availability does not always establish unrestricted republication rights.

VNN should consider relevant licence terms, statutory rules, court restrictions and confidentiality obligations.

Where documents are referenced, suitable attribution should be provided.

20. Logos, Trademarks and Brand Identity

The VALCORED News Network name, visual identity and associated branding may be protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

Any trademark registration claim should be made only where a valid registration exists.

VNN’s logo must not be used without appropriate authorisation to imply a formal partnership, endorsement or affiliation.

Descriptive references to VNN for lawful reporting, criticism or identification remain subject to applicable legal rights and exceptions.

21. Contributor Intellectual Property

Freelance journalists and external contributors may retain copyright unless rights are transferred through a valid agreement or otherwise determined by law.

VNN should establish relevant rights before publication.

Agreements may address:

• Publication rights.
• Exclusivity.
• Duration.
• Territory.
• Attribution.
• Editing permissions.
• Syndication.
• Fees.
• Third-party material.
• Reuse and archival rights.

Submission of material does not necessarily constitute a transfer of copyright ownership.

22. User-Generated Content

Readers retain rights they lawfully hold in comments, photographs or other submitted content.

Where material is submitted for public posting, the relevant website terms may grant VNN limited permissions necessary to host, display, moderate and distribute it.

A person submitting content must have appropriate authority to do so.

VNN may reject or remove material where there are reasonable grounds to believe rights have been infringed.

23. Copyright Complaints

VNN welcomes legitimate notifications concerning alleged copyright infringement.

Copyright Contact

A notice should identify:

1. The copyrighted work.
2. The person or entity claiming ownership or authority.
3. The URL of the material concerned.
4. The alleged infringing use.
5. Relevant supporting evidence.
6. Applicable licence terms, if any.
7. The action requested.
8. Contact details for follow-up.

VNN may request clarification before making a determination.

24. Copyright Review and Takedown Procedure

Where a credible complaint is received, VNN should:

1. Identify the material concerned.
2. Review the asserted rights.
3. Examine the available licence or permission.
4. Consider applicable statutory exceptions.
5. Consult relevant editorial personnel.
6. Obtain legal advice where appropriate.
7. Determine a proportionate response.
8. Record the outcome where necessary.

Possible actions include correcting attribution, obtaining permission, replacing material, restricting access or removing infringing content.

The existence of a complaint does not automatically establish infringement.

25. Incorrect or Misleading Copyright Claims

VNN may request evidence from individuals making ownership or licensing claims.

A person should not knowingly submit a false infringement notice to suppress lawful criticism, reporting or competition.

Where a genuine legal dispute exists, the matter may require specialist advice or formal resolution.

26. Archiving and Historical Content

VNN may retain archived articles where lawful and appropriate.

The rights associated with third-party material should be considered when maintaining historical publications.

An expired licence, a rights-related complaint or a legal restriction may require review of archived content.

27. Copyright and Corrections

Incorrect attribution may require editorial correction.

Where an image or article was improperly credited, VNN should consider an appropriate acknowledgement or corrective measure.

A correction does not automatically resolve an underlying copyright infringement.

28. Commercial Licensing Enquiries

Organisations seeking authorised reproduction or syndication rights should contact:

VALCORED News Network

Licensing Email

Website

valcorednews.com

VNN can grant rights only to the extent that it owns or is authorised to license the relevant material.

29. Governing Law

This policy is intended to operate consistently with applicable Australian copyright law and any relevant laws applying to the particular content or use.

Nothing in this policy removes lawful rights of fair dealing, statutory exceptions or other legally protected uses.

30. Our Commitment

VNN recognises that journalism relies on the work of writers, photographers, publishers and many other creators.

We aim to protect original content while respecting the ownership, attribution and licensing rights of others.

Respect for original journalism begins with respect for the people who create it.