Legal obligation of publisher to supply new publications

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Just for the sake of accuracy, Trinity College Dublin, is not in the UK.

Point taken. That said, it's actually the "UK Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003" that bestows this right upon the Library of Trinity College as well.

It's a reciprocal one, of course: Irish laws in turn mandate that one copy of every book published in the republic is to be delivered to the National Library of Ireland, a few other Irish university libraries as well as the British Library. The Bodleian, Cambridge and the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales are, again, given the right to request a copy free of charge.

[elcreative]

Deleted for being asleep when I read the post I was commenting on...

[rogue_librarian]

Are you referring to the situation in the UK / Ireland? While it is true that, in practice, many publishers deposit their publications with all six libraries without waiting for a claim to be made, there is no such obligation, strictly speaking.

"Each deposit library other than the British Library Board is entitled to delivery ... of a copy of any work published in print which it requests ..."

See Legaldeposit.org.uk for details.

Nevermind.

[sunnysmiles]

It can be longer than a year we are periodically asked for books and quite often the demand comes at least a year or two later .

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

In the UK (and Ireland) one copy of every book must be sent to the British Library; five other libraries (the Bodleian at Oxford, Cambridge University Library, the National Library of Scotland, the Library of Trinity College / Dublin and the National Library of Wales) are entitled to request a free copy within one year of publication.

What if you tell them to get lost?

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

Yes. They are called deposit libraries. In the US any copyrighted work that is published must be submitted in two copies to the United States Copyright Office at the Library of Congress.

Originally Posted by Fbone

The US Mandatory Deposit section from the LOC.

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/ma...y_deposit.html

Bugger! Now I have to chase up addresses etc.

Originally Posted by sunnysmiles

It can be longer than a year we are periodically asked for books and quite often the demand comes at least a year or two later .

Do you mean that someone actually has a job to find the authors of books that DON'T submit?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

What if you tell them to get lost?

You'd be breaking the law and could be prosecuted. It's difficult to imagine, though, that any author would do so.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by James_Wilde

Wow! Only two? Here in Sweden we have seven, the Royal Library (strange name for the National Library) and six, read it, six, university libraries.

But only two of them are required to save all things they get.

I wonder if they have changed the laws to cover ebooks? It would be a pity if ebooks are not saved.

[pholy]

Originally Posted by JeremyR

Actually though, a list is something you can't copyright in the US.

http://www.csga.com/copyright/lists.php

But (from the link):

The definition would include lists or tables taken from public documents or other common sources.

So the grocery list might still be copyrighted by its creator... I think. But I doubt that the legislators really intended it. Sometimes they forget that laws are the program code for society.

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

What if you tell them to get lost?

They'll ask the court for an enforceable order. If all else fails, they'll buy the books on the open market and charge the publisher for the cost.

[wannabee]

Originally Posted by pholy

But (from the link):


So the grocery list might still be copyrighted by its creator... I think. But I doubt that the legislators really intended it. Sometimes they forget that laws are the program code for society.

When I read the Australian specifications it occurred to me that every bit of junk mail and retail catalogue should be submitted. It specifically mentioned brochures and newsletters.

[FlorenceArt]

We have legal deposit in France too, and it has nothing to do with copyright, it's just to keep records. And then they store the books in that big ugly building they built for this, except nobody bothered to check the requirements to store books apparently, so they made this building with glass walls, and then realized they had to protect the books from the sun, so they made wood panels to obscure the windows, thereby making the building even uglier than it was originally.

Maybe they can use all that space to store e-books, light won't hurt them.

[Tomsk]

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

In the UK one copy of every book must be sent to the British Library; five other libraries (the Bodleian at Oxford, Cambridge University Library, the National Library of Scotland, the Library of Trinity College / Dublin and the National Library of Wales) are entitled to request a free copy within one year of publication.

Doesn't the British Library have to pay for the copy?
Years ago, I recall reading about some scam. Publish a book with each copy costing £thousands. British library has to buy one. Easy money.

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by Tomsk

Doesn't the British Library have to pay for the copy?

No, publishers need to provide those copies free of charge. It's the same system all over the world.

[helen_1454]

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

Yes. They are called deposit libraries. In the US any copyrighted work that is published must be submitted in two copies to the United States Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. (They don't necessarily retain all copies or all books, though.)

In the UK one copy of every book must be sent to the British Library; five other libraries (the Bodleian at Oxford, Cambridge University Library, the National Library of Scotland, the Library of Trinity College / Dublin and the National Library of Wales) are entitled to request a free copy within one year of publication.

Do you know whether, if you publish a book exclusively as an eBook (i.e. no print edition exists), it must be supplied to the British Library as well?