Deposit copies are printed copies of books or other publications that publishers or authors are legally obliged to give free of charge to certain institutions. These institutions are usually libraries, archives or national cultural institutions that aim to preserve a comprehensive archive of national publishing and cultural production.
The essential aspects of deposit copies are:
- Legal obligation: In many countries there are legal regulations that oblige publishers orauthors to supply a certain number of copies of their published works free of charge to certain institutions.
- Number of deposit copies: The number of deposit copies may vary depending on the country and the type of publication. For example, in some countries, printed books and eBooks must provide different quantities of deposit copies.
- Recipients of the deposit copies: The deposit copies are usually sent to national or regional libraries, archival institutions or other cultural institutions responsible for archiving and access to cultural works.
Why are there deposit copies?
The deposit copy regulations aim to preserve the national cultural heritage and facilitate access to cultural production for the public. By providing deposit copies to libraries and archives, important cultural and literary works are preserved for future generations and research and education are promoted.
Mandatory copies and feiyr.com:
In the context of feiyr.com and eBook publishing, deposit copy regulations in usually refer to printed books. As feiyr.com is a platform for the publication of digital eBooks, deposit copies are usually not relevant in this specific context. The deposit copies apply mainly to physical copies that must be delivered to the relevant institutions in order to preserve cultural heritage and access to literature.
