Legal Deposit

It consists in assigning legal deposit numbers to the bibliographic and audiovisual output of Catalonia, and collecting of copies for being preserved which can be consulted at the Biblioteca de Catalunya.

Contact details and opening times

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Delivery form

Legislation

NOVETAT: La Llei 8/2022, de 4 de maig, que modifica la Llei 23/2011, de 29 de juliol, de dipòsit legal, que ha entrat en vigor el 2023, preveu que els editors, un cop obtingut el número de DL, facin el dipòsit de l'arxiu digital previ a la impressió dels llibres i publicacions en sèrie als centres de conservació de les CCAA i a la BNE. Ara per ara, al centre de conservació de Catalunya, que és la Biblioteca de Catalunya, no cal fer el dipòsit de l'arxiu digital previ.

Un cop obtingut el número de DL, per gestionar el lliurament de l'arxiu digital previ a la BNE cal fer-ho en línia a l'adreça https://deposito.dl-e.es/

 

Legal deposit management:

The unit who takes care of it is the Legal Deposit Office. E-mail bcdl@bnc.cat

Contact details and opening times

Opening times: Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 14.00 h.
All offices will be closed on 24 and 31 December.

Legal Deposit Office at Barcelona

Villarroel, 91 08011 Barcelona

34 93 452 69 01
34 93 270 23 00 ext. 84013243

bcdl@bnc.cat

Legal Deposit Office at Girona

Carrer Ciutadans, 18 17004 Girona

34 972 22 54 18

dlgirona.cultura@gencat.cat

Oficina del Dipòsit Legal de Lleida

Rambla Aragó, 8 25002 Lleida

Oficina DL : 34 973 279 213

Centraleta Serveis Territorials : 973 279 200

dllleida.cultura@gencat.cat

Oficina del Dipòsit Legal de Tarragona

Major, 14 43003 Tarragona

Oficina DL: 34 977 25 14 72

Centraleta Serveis Territorials: 34 977 251 500

dltarragona.cultura@gencat.cat

Legal Deposit Office at Tortosa

Dr. Jaume Ferran, 4-6 43500 Tortosa

DL office: 34 977 44 82 25
Territorial services: 34 977 44 80 70

dltortosa.cultura@gencat.cat

 

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the legal deposit?

Constitution of the legal deposit

How can be done a registration as a publisherproductor?

Which works are collected under legal deposit?

Which works are excluded of legal deposit?

How many copies should be delivered?

How legal deposit of digital born documents on the Internet is done?

What is a collaborating entity for the conservation and preservation of online legal deposit?

How to get an exemption of delivering copies of legal deposit?

What happens if legal deposit is not done?

Why deposit legal is important?

Legal diposit number

How is and when should be asked for a legal deposit number?

How and where should the legal deposit number be consigned?

Who should ask for a legal deposit number?

How can be requested a legal deposit number?

Should the serials have a different legal deposit number at each issue or volume?

Can requests for a legal deposit number be cancelled or extended?

 

What is the legal deposit?

En el lliurament d’una quantitat determinada d’exemplars de les publicacions que formen part del patrimoni bibliogràfic i cultural.
L’obtenció del número de DL és el pas previ, però per a dur a terme el dipòsit s’han de fer arribar els exemplars a les oficines del DL
No totes les publicacions formen part del patrimoni: n’hi ha que n’estan excloses i, per tant, no han de demanar número ni dipositar-ne exemplars.

 How can be done a registration as a publisher/productor?

At  the nearest Legal Deposit Office, in person or by email. You will need  to provide true data of your address, telephone number, e-mail address  and the person responsible for managing the legal deposit. Also  presenting the following:

  • Publishers:
     
    • Form 036 of Census Declaration or IAE payment receipt
    • A commercial card with the entire address
    • NIF of the organization
  • Institutions and associations:
     
    • Registration in the Register of Associations of the Generalitat of Catalonia
    • Document with the address of the entity
    • NIF of the institution.
    • Name of person responsible for the company and the contact person for the management of DL
    • Individuals:
       
      • DNI
      • Current data: address, phone and email

Which works are collected under legal deposit?

  • Books and pamphlets, whatever content, printing type and support, venal or not venal.
  • Non-commercial printed sheets.
  • Serials and Other Continuing Resources (yearbooks, journals, newspapers, etc.)
  • Les publicacions d'impressió sota demanda except those destined for distribution in the family sphere NEW
  • Musical scores.
  • Original illustrations
  • Catàlegs comercials de llibreries, editorials i subhastes NEW
  • Published photographs
  • Engravings: single plates, stamps, stickers, postcards, Christmas postcards, bokkmarks, artistic advertisements, playing cards.
  • Advertising posters of shows, parties, public events religious or profanes; advertising posters of commercial products
  • Maps, plans. Atlas, charts, astral charts
  • Textbooks  for primary, secondary and higher education, and on-the-job training
  • Sound recordings
  • Video-recordings
  • Microforms
  • Electronic resources not available through the Internet
  • Videojocs, que inclouran tots els continguts digitals, i exclouran els objectes tridimensionals NEW
  • Electronic resources distributed through the Internet, and that can be compared with a printed equivalent: books, journals, newspapers, annual reports and yearbooks, business or institutional reports and musical scores ...
  • New copy of the entire documents in original version of any motion picture film, documentary and fiction, made by a producer with registered permanent residence or establishment in Catalonia and a copy of publicity materials.

Which works are excluded of legal deposit?

  • Reprints, maintaining legal deposit number of the edition that reproduce
  • Government documents of internal or become eligible for inclusion in administrative files
  • Documents of institutions and organizations, including business, that deal solely on internal affairs and personnel are directed to them, such as circulars, instructions or procedures manuals
  • Publications for competitive examinations, promotion or transfer of the bodies or scales of the various civil services
  • Stamps.
  • Social or private printings, invitations to weddings or baptisms, obituaries, visiting cards, identity cards, diplomas, etc.
  • Office forms, including official, non-completed questionnaires and surveys except that complement a work whose content is technical or scientific, for example, a volume consisting of a collection of forms that accompanies a book on administrative procedure
  • Print on demand publishing
  • Press clippings
  • Commercial printings
  • Commercial catalogs of all kinds
  • Engagement book and diaries
  • Board games
  • Three-dimensional objects, while accompanying a main document
  • Operating instructions for objects, appliances, machinery, etc.
  • Any product of a computer system that contains data that affect the privacy of natural persons and legal and how many are included in the regulations to protect personal data
  • Audiovisual programs issued by providers of audiovisual media service, unless they are being  distributed

The direction of the Biblioteca de Catalunya will decide when in doubt.

How many copies should be delivered?

Una vez acabada la obra y antes de su distribución o venta, se debe constituir el depósito de ejemplares.
The delivery form de ejemplares solo debe rellenarse si NO se tiene acceso a la Gestión electrónica.

Four copies of:

  • Books and pamphlets, whatever content, printing type and support,  venal or not venal. Except textbooks, collector's books or if they are  more than one binding in the same edition.
  • Non-commercial printed sheets.
  • Serials and Other Continuing Resources (yearbooks, journals, newspapers, etc.)
  • Musical scores.
  • Maps, plans. Atlas, charts, astral charts

Three copies of:

  • Each binding in the same edition
  • Official gazettes don’t available at the web.
  • Sound recordings
  • Video-recordings
  • Electronic resources;
  • Bibliophile and artistic books;
  • Original illustrations
  • Published photographs
  • Landscapes and cities postcards;
  • Advertising posters.
  • Bookmarks.

Two copies of:

  • Textbooks  for primary, secondary and higher education, and on-the-job training;
  • Engravings: single plates, stamps, stickers, artistic advertisements;
  • Microforms;
  • Postcards, except if they are landscapes or cities illustrations;
  • New copy of the entire documents in original version of any motion picture film, documentary and fiction;

A copy of:

  • Christmas postcards;
  • Playing cards;
  • Billboards and banners;
  • Publicity materials of any motion picture film, documentary and fiction.

When copies will be delivered, you must have filled out the publisher's mandatory declaration.

In the case of works published under pseudonym, it should be stated the author's real name.

Discs, sound recordings and videos

In the case of sound recordings, they should be stated the master and the ISRC number or the record label after the title.

Newspapers

Daily newspapers can be delivered twice a month.

Defective copies

Defective copies will be returned to be replaced by new ones without defects.

How the legal deposit of born digital documents on the Internet is done?

The Reial Decret 635/2015 of 10 juliol, regulating the legal deposit of online publications, which came into force on October 25, 2015 regulates the management procedure and constitution of the legal deposit of online publications with the aim of preserving the  bibliographic, sound, visual, audiovisual and digital heritage.

We highlight the following aspects:

  • This regulation refers to digital documents born in the network, ie, without tangible physical media.
  • Online publications don't have legal deposit number, but they must be deposited.
  • Conservation centers, in our case the Biblioteca de Catalunya, are  responsible for determining which online publications are those that   have to be deposited.
  • The legitimate rights of publishers and authors with respect to   intellectual property rights and exploitation will be respected in all cases.

The Biblioteca de Catalunya has developed the COFRE repository  (Conservem per al Futur Electrònics Resources) that includes a module to make the legal deposit online.

To be able to make the legal deposit for the digital documents, the  publishers of these publications will have to provide their data at the  Biblioteca de Catalunya Legal Deposit Office in order to obtain the  access password for the repository. Publications can be delivered online  after obtaining the password. Legal Deposit offices will provide to  publishers, producers, etc, all the necessary information to make  effective the legal deposit at COFRE repository.

What is a collaborating entity for the conservation and preservation of online legal deposit? 

The Biblioteca de Catalunya, in accordance with current legislation,  may establish collaboration agreements for the conservation and  preservation of the online legal deposit with public or private entities  that have repositories or online distribution platforms, and which are  considered "safe repositories" in accordance with the criteria  established by the Biblioteca and under its supervision. This option of  distributed digital preservation allows to build a more sustainable and  efficient model without losing conservation guarantees. The contents of  the repositories or platforms regulated by the collaboration agreements  do not need to be deposited in COFRE.  

Document de requeriments (Catalan)

Model d’acord de col·laboració (Catalan)

Collaborating entities with agreement: CSUC/TDX

How to get an exemption of delivering copies of legal deposit?

The publisher is who can do it.

It can be requested an exemption of two copies in case of works  without ISBN, and three copies for works with ISBN. In any case, two  copies should be delivered at least, which will be preserved at the  Biblioteca de Catalunya and the Biblioteca Nacional of Spain.

To get the exemption, the publisher should address a letter to the  Director of the Biblioteca de Catalunya, which can be sent at any of the  Legal deposit offices at Catalonia.

Should be included the following data:

  • Name of the publisher firm who is requesting for the exemption
  • The title of the work for which the exemption is requested.
  • Legal deposit number assigned to the work.
  • Reason of the exemption (price, special features, etc.)
  • Number of copies for which the exemption is requested (one, two or three)

What happens if legal deposit is not done?

It is an infraction. They are infractions:

  • Publishing a work without legal deposit number.
  • Publishing a work with a false or incomplete legal deposit number.
  • Do not make the delivery of copies
  • Do not communicate the postponement or cancellation of a work,

If a publisher (printer, manufacturer, duplicator, etc.) commits any  infraction, he can be subject to sanction. The Legal deposit Office will  communicate him that he must make the delivery of copies or respond in  his defence, within one month.

Why is Legal Deposit important?

The bibliographic and cultural heritage of Catalonia is formed with  copies collected under Legal deposit, otherwise all these works would  not be at the national libraries, which are responsible by law to ensure  its preservation for the future (Law 4 / 1993 of March 18, of the  Library System of Catalonia).

How is and when should be asked for a legal deposit number?

The legal deposit number should be asked for the works that should be collected under legal deposit and have a tangible media, analogical or digital.

The born digital works without tangible media are excluded of having legal deposit number. See How legal deposit of digital born documents on the Internet is done?

The legal deposit number has following elements

  1. The acronim "DL" followed by a space
  2. The initial of each office followed by a space:
  3. The deposit number assigned by the office.
  4. The year when deposit is done in Arabic numerals.

Example:

DL B 2456-2014
DL Gi 325-2014

How and where should the legal deposit number placed?

  • In books and pamphlet it should be placed in the same sheet of the  ISBN number, on the back cover or on the half-title. Without this  requirement, works will not be admitted at the legal deposit offices.
  • In newspapers and journals it should be placed in the header. When  journals have a format and cover such as of a book, it should be placed  on the back cover or on the half-title.
  • For all other printings, the legal deposit number should be consigned in an easily visible place.
  • In postcards and stickers, the legal deposit number should be  printed on the back. It will be assigned one number for each model,  even if they are joined forming a serial, if it is physically possible  to separate them without damage.
  • In discs Audio, the legal deposit number should be  placed on the label or in the middle of the plate, and on the cover of  each disc. The manufacturer should provide the legal deposit number to  the printer of the bag or container, if the manufacturers of disc and  container are not the same.
  • The films, filmlets and shorts should exhibit the legal deposit number in an easily visible manner
  • The volumes of a unitary work will have the same legal deposit  number for all volumes, even if their ISBN number is different. If all  volumes are not printed at once, printer of first volume has the  responsibility of requesting a legal deposit number. Then, he will  communicate it to the publisher, who must give it to successive printers  of the rest of volumes. After legal deposit number it should be added  the ordinal of volume in Roman numbers and between parentheses.

Example:

DL B (número)-2014 (I)
DL B (número)-2014 (II)

  • Offprints from journals with own pagination will have the same  number of the publication in which the text was originally published. It  should add “Sep” between the initials of the province and the legal  deposit number.

Example: DL T- "Sep".(number)- 1999

  • Legislative serials that are successively publishing supplements of  interchangeable sheets -which are also under Legal deposit-, will have  the same legal deposit number of the basic publication. The legal number  should be placed on the folder or on the book band.
  • Will be assigned new legal deposit numbers to second and successive editions of a work.

Who should ask for a legal deposit number?

It is the publisher for printed books. If an author itself publish its own works without a commercial printer or publisher, can also ask for a legal deposit number. For sound works, films or electronic works, it should be the producer, publisher, duplication firm or manufacturer. If there are several of them involved, is the one which is responsible of the main part, anyway, the rest of them are not exempt of subsidiary responsibility.

How can be requested a legal deposit number?

  1. Sempre i quan no es tinguin números pendents de lliurar de més de tres mesos
  2. Going at the legal deposit office, when the work is almost finished.
        a) By phone, identifying yourself with your publisher/productor code,  unless they are copies pending of delivering since more than three  months.
       b) By web. A password is needed, which is assigned by legal deposit offices

Copies should be delivered before of two months since the request date

How can be done a registration as a publisher/productor?

At the nearest Legal Deposit Office, in person or by email. You will need to provide true data of your address, telephone number, e-mail address and the person responsible for managing the legal deposit. Also presenting the following:

  • Publishers:
     
    • Form 036 of Census Declaration or IAE payment receipt
    • A commercial card with the entire address
    • NIF of the organization
  • Institutions and associations:
     
    • Registration in the Register of Associations of the Generalitat of Catalonia
    • Document with the address of the entity
    • NIF of the institution.
    • Name of person responsible for the company and the contact person for the management of DL
  • Individuals:
     
    • DNI
    • Current data: address, phone and email

Should serials have a different legal deposit number at each issue or volume?

Yearbooks. It is assigned a single legal deposit number which will be printed at each volume, even if they have different ISBN numbers.

Journals and newspapers. It is assigned a single legal deposit number, even if frequency changes.

Numbered Series. If they are individual works, each work will be considered as a single work, unless they are volumes of a unitary work, in which case will be assigned the same legal deposit number for all the volumes.

Can requests be cancelled or extended?

If a work is not published after two months since the request of legal deposit number, it must apply for an extension or inform of cancellation. Extension only is for two months more. After this period, the office can start a proposal of sanction, if it has not receipt any new notification.

Legislation