2025-2-6 The NDL is planning for users to be able to acquire photocopies as PDF files through the remote photoduplication service from February 20, 2025.

On February 20, 2025, the National Diet Library will start offering the "Remote photoduplication service (PDF file download)", where we provide photocopies as PDF files, in addition to the conventional "Remote photoduplication service (courier or postal mail)", where we provide printed photocopies by courier or postal mail.

The revision of the Copyright Law in 2021 enabled libraries or similar facilities to send a part of a work to a user via the internet, etc. at the user's request, for the user's own studies or research (as a public transmission service by libraries or similar facilities). Along with this revision, the Stakeholder Council on Public Transmission Services by Libraries or Similar Facilities was established by stakeholders such as copyright holders, publishers and libraries, and they have discussed matters necessary to operate the service.

The NDL will start this new service, in accordance with the agreement within the Council, as a new type of remote photoduplication service offering photocopies as PDF files via NDL Search.

Outline of the service

This is a service where users can make requests for photoduplication without coming to the library and acquire PDF files of photocopies of materials held by the NDL. Making requests and downloading PDF files will be done on NDL Search.
According to the provisions of the Copyright Law, in principle, only a part of a work can be photocopied.

Materials covered by the service

In principle, any materials held by the NDL are available through this service. However, publications of musical scores, maps, photo books, art books, magazines published within one year, etc. are not included in the scope of the service, in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Law and other regulations.

Who can use the service

Only individual users with an official NDL user registration can use this service. Users with simple user registration and institutions such as libraries cannot make requests. For details on user registration, please refer to "User Registration: official registration".
Users must agree to the terms of use before applying for this service.

Photocopy fee

Users will be charged the sum of 1 and 2 below.

1. Cost of photocopying
   The fee will vary depending on the type of materials to be photocopied and the method used for photocopying. The fees per image frame are as below.
   • Paper materials to be scanned (such as books, magazines): 83.6 yen (76 yen + tax）
   • Paper materials to be photographed (such as old materials): 176 yen (160 yen + tax）
   • Microfilms and microfiches: 116.6 yen (106 yen + tax）
   • Materials in the National Diet Library Digital Collections: 62.7 yen (57 yen + tax）
2. Equivalent compensation to copyright holders
   For details on compensation, please refer to the "Rules on Remuneration for Public Transmission by Libraries or Similar Facilities" (Japanese) in the website of the Society for Administration of Remuneration for Public Transmission by Libraries or Similar Facilities (SARLIB) (Link to external site) (in Japanese).

Details on this service will be posted on the page of the "Remote photoduplication service" on February 20.