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LEGAL DEPOSIT

What is a Legal Deposit?

Legal deposit is a statutory obligation that requires publishers, distributors, and, in some countries, printers to provide copies of their publications to the national collection at no cost. This ensures the preservation of the nation’s published heritage. In many countries, the scope of legal deposit has been extended to include electronic resources and other forms of non-print media. (https://www.ifla.org/references/best-practice-for-national-bibliographic-agencies-in-a-digital-age/organisation/legal-deposit/statutory-legal-deposit/)

Legal Deposit in the Philippines

In the Philippines, legal deposit is governed by Presidential Decree 812, issued in 1975. This decree outlines comprehensive guidelines for the systematic collection of published printed materials within the country. Its primary objective is to ensure the preservation and accessibility of these materials for future generations, safeguarding against unforeseen events and calamities that might otherwise threaten their existence.

What is Subject to Legal Deposit?

Any published or printed publication is subject to legal deposit. This includes:

  • All printed literary works
  • Musical arrangements
  • Catalogues
  • Periodicals
  • Government publications
  • Prints
  • Photographs
  • Drawings and other graphic arts
  • Maps, plans, charts, and tables
  • All supplements to the above

These materials are subject to legal deposit whether they are in their original form, adaptations, or reproductions, and whether they are made available for sale or free distribution to the general public. However, legal deposit does not include:

  • Legal documents
  • Printed forms
  • Trade circulars
  • Timetables
  • Other commercial documents

The term “printed,” as applied to books, refers to materials produced by printing, lithography, photography, duplication, or any similar process.

Who is Subject to Legal Deposit?

Legal deposit obligations apply to various entities involved in the production and distribution of printed materials:

  1. Publishers: This includes any person, whether an individual or an organization, responsible for producing a book and offering it for sale or free distribution. A publisher can also be the printer of the book.

  2. Printers: This refers to the proprietor of a printing establishment.

  3. Government Entities: The heads of various departments, bureaus, offices, and branches of the government, including provincial and municipal governments, as well as government-owned and government-controlled corporations, are also subject to legal deposit. They are required to provide fifty (50) copies of all printed reports or documents of any kind. These copies serve as the mainstay of the National Library’s exchange commitments, both nationally and internationally.

When to Deposit a Book?

A book must be deposited within one (1) month from the date it is first delivered from the press.

Where to Make a Deposit?

The publisher must furnish, free of charge and in the same quality as the best copies produced, the following:

  1. Two best copies to the National Library of the Philippines (NLP)
  2. One copy each to:
    – The University of the Philippines Main Library
    – The University of the Philippines Library at Cebu City
    – The Mindanao State University Library
    – The Cultural Center of the Philippines Library

Why Deposit a Book?

Preserving published and printed materials is crucial for posterity and protecting our national culture against unforeseen events and calamities such as fires, earthquakes, floods, or wars that can cause significant destruction.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failure to fulfill the deposit requirements can result in legal penalties. If a publisher does not comply, they can be convicted and fined between Fifty Pesos (P50.00) and Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00). Additionally, the publisher must deliver the required materials. If the original copy is no longer available, a reproduction or the equivalent value of the work will be added to the fine.

How to deposit a publication?

  1. Accomplish, print, and sign the Legal Deposit Information Sheet online form accessible through this link https://bit.ly/45y4oNa or QR Code:

  2. Deposit/submit the following:

    1. Printed publications – through Hand-Delivery, Courier Service, or Postal Mail

      1. Submit two (2) best/bound copies of publications with the accomplished & signed Legal Deposit Information Sheet
      2. Submit a request letter on company letterhead only if requesting a Certificate of Legal Deposit

      Address request letter and/or delivery of publications to:
      MELODY M. MADRID
      Chief, Collection Development Division – Legal Deposit
      National Library of the Philippines
      T.M. Kalaw St. Ermita Manila, 1000, Philippines

    2. Electronic/digital publications – may be shared/emailed to legaldeposit@nlp.gov.ph

      1. One (1) best copy of the publication
      2. Scanned copy of the accomplished & signed Legal Deposit Information Sheet

  3. The National Library of the Philippines shall confirm receipt of the deposit by issuing Acknowledgement Receipt (AR) within 3 working days. A printed copy of the Acknowledgement Receipt (AR) shall be sent via email or claimed at the NLP

  4. Upon request of the depositor, a Certificate of Legal Deposit (CLD) may be issued free of charge. However, a certificate with a dry seal shall have a minimal fee of One Hundred Pesos (P100.00) and Thirty Pesos (P30.00) for the Document Stamp Tax

For more information on legal deposits and how to deposit your publications, please visit our website https://web.nlp.gov.ph/legal-deposit/. You may contact us at (02) 5314-2100 loc. 404/405 or email us at legaldeposit@nlp.gov.ph for inquiries and other concerns.

Access the Decree on Legal and Cultural Deposit (PD 812) at the Official Gazette website: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1975/10/18/presidential-decree-no-812-s-1975/

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