Digital reserve collections: agreement with VG Wort in force until 28 February 2018

The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) and the VG Wort collecting agency have agreed to extend the current flat-rate payment system for the use of copyright-protected material in digital reserve collections until 28 February 2018.

The Central Library reading room of the University of Passau

The situation was initially unclear after a new framework contract with VG Wort was scrapped due to the strong opposition of universities across Germany, which led to the current system to be extended only until September 2017.

A new act, the 'Urheberrechts-Wissensgesellschafts-Gesetz' (UrhWissG), which is to come into effect on 1 March 2018, is expected to remedy the situation as it allows for flat-rate payment of royalties.

We will inform you in due course of any changes due to the new laws and regulations.