Legal Deposit

Legal Deposit is the means by which a comprehensive national collection is gathered together as a record of the nation's published heritage and development. Canadian publishers are required to send two copies of all the books, pamphlets, serial publications, microforms, spoken word sound recordings, videorecordings, electronic publications issued in physical formats (CD-ROM, CD-I, computer diskette, etc.), and one copy of musical sound recordings and multi-media kits they publish, to Library and Archives Canada.

Further information is available by consulting Legal Deposit: preserving Canada's published heritage.

What’s new in legal deposit

Following extensive consultations with the publishing community, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has now amended the Legal Deposit regulations to include electronic publications and maps. As part of the normal legislative process, we will be posting these proposed new regulations on the Canada Gazette, so that interested stakeholders will have a chance to review them before they come into force. The regulations will be available for review for 30 days from Sept. 1, 2006. These new regulations represent LAC’s continuing commitment to providing broader access to and preservation of our published heritage, and in particular, to online publications. For more information on these regulations, or to review them yourself, please consult the Canada Gazette website, at http://canadagazette.gc.ca/consultation-e.html.

Legal deposit forms available on line.

NOTE: Legal deposit of Canadian publications is not related to copyright. Questions about copyright should be directed to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office at Industry Canada.

For additional information, contact: