[Taxacom] ICZN procedure question

[Neal Evenhuis]

________________________________________
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Lynn Raw [lynn at afriherp.org]
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 10:30 PM
To: Stephen Thorpe
Cc: TAXACOM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] ICZN procedure question

You might like to look at this web page: http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/legaldep/index.html

Other countries have similar systems in place and these collectively probably publish most of the taxonomic literature so perhaps the concerns about storage are not a problem for the ICZN anyway.


**************

Hi Lyn,

This is fine in theory but, despite the "legal obligation", not everyone follows this. Probably because their are no legal repercussions (that I know of -if anyone has heard of cases brought to court for non-deposition of a published work, please let me know). The U.S. has a similar obligation for publishers receiving ISSN and ISBN numbers  -- to deposit copies in the Library of Congress -- but this does not always happen either.

This is not new. I have been researching the holdings of the Stationer's Hall in England, which was supposed to be the legal depository for British publications, and they are missing quite a lot of things published throughout the 1800s and probably 1900s as well. Similar gaps are in the Bibliotheque National de France despite their rules for depositing copies.

But I suppose such a "legal obligation" is better than nothing. But don't bet your life on this happening for *every* publication.

-Neal


**************