There are several reasons why your VW-LiS account might be blocked. Your account can usually be reactivated very soon. Please contact vergriffene.werke@dnb.de

We will contact you immediately to reactivate the account.

For a new password, please contact vergriffene.werke@dnb.de

We will contact you immediately to send you a new password for your VW-LiS account.

It is not possible to submit licence applications for out-of-commerce periodicals at this time.

The licensing of out-of-commerce periodicals is already regulated in the framework agreement on the use of out-of-commerce works in printed publications. We are working on the necessary technology with the aim of making the relevant application functions available for periodicals as soon as possible.

No. The absence of a licensing service offered by a representative collecting management organisation does not permit blanket recourse to the exception provided for in section 61d UrhG.

The licensing of out-of-commerce periodicals is already regulated in the framework agreement on the use of out-of-commerce works in printed publications. We are working on the necessary technology with the aim of making the relevant application functions available for periodicals as soon as possible.

VW-LiS makes it easier to search for out-of-commerce works. Three search options are provided:

• Upload data package:
  Upload MARC21-XML files from your network/local system and automatically determine the current availability of up to 1,000 works (max. 4 MB) in one package. Title information not indexed in the German National Library's catalogue will be automatically imported from external bibliographic data sources using the union-catalogue ID provided in the metadata; this will then be checked to determine the work’s availability.
  
  
• Search for union-catalogue IDs:
  Perform selective searches using union-catalogue IDs (union ISIL + title identifier) from your union/local system. This procedure is particularly suited to smaller volumes and works that are not indexed in the German National Library's catalogue. When you enter individual union-catalogue IDs into the search mask, the relevant works are automatically imported from external bibliographic data sources and their availability status determined.
  
  
• Search the German National Library's catalogue:
  The quickest way to find out-of-commerce works is to search our catalogue. Search for the works you want and submit a licence application right away. All bibliographic data that meet the legal requirements are already listed in the catalogue together with the work's availability status ("Status under VGG"). It is also possible to limit your search to the subset that meets the minimum legal criteria (Extended search > Locations/Catalogues > Subset under VGG).
  
  
• Multi-volume works:
  The licensing process for multi-volume works is integrated into the fully automated licensing processes and is supplemented by an intellectual title and status search. The institution filing the application reviews the work's current availability status by searching the directory of German Books in Print (VLB, www.buchhandel.de). The basic bibliographic data is recorded in a data mask in the user's VW-LiS account then processed in the licensing workflow. More than 830,000 multi-volume works in the German National Library's catalogue are currently classified with the status "Review pending ".

If the bibliographic data do not meet the minimum requirements for determining the work's availability status and/or transmission to VG WORT, this too is indicated. You can find more information on the various statuses at: “What do the availability statuses mean?“

The availability status of single-volume monographs, and thus their eligibility for application, is determined by automated data synchronisation procedures. The availability status of multi-volume monographs is determined by the requesting institution.

Please note the following procedural information when researching and applying:

Determining availability (only available in German)

The following statuses are displayed for the bibliographic data in your search. You can filter your search results by status for further processing/submission of an application:

• out-of-commerce:
  = not available. This work is not offered by any publisher. You can submit a licence application directly.
  
• in print:
  = available. The work is still in print or will be republished. You cannot submit a licence application.
  
• review pending:
  The data have not yet been compared with the data in the availability directories, or the work is part of a multi-volume monograph. More information at “What does the status Review pending mean?“
  
• out-of-commerce: You have already submitted an application for this title:
  Your institution has already requested a licence for this title. You cannot submit an additional licence application.
  
• out-of-commerce: X application(s) submitted as per VGG:
  One or more institutions have already requested a licence for this title. Decide whether you would like to link to the digitised version held by another institution.
  
• out-of-commerce: Application not possible due to objection:
  The rights holders have already lodged an objection relating to the selected work. You cannot submit a licence application.
  
• review required, please contact vergriffene.werke@dnb.de:
  The bibliographic data in the German National Library's catalogue may be incomplete and thus insufficient for licensing purposes. Please contact us regarding additions and amendments to bibliographic data: vergriffene.werke@dnb.de
  
• Uploaded title information incomplete:
  The title information in your data package can only be processed in full if it contains information on the copyright holder, the title AND the publication year.
  
• Title information do not meet statutory requirements:
  The title information you provided do not meet the criteria set forth in the statutory provisions and/or the framework agreement for the licensing of out-of-commerce works. The work must have been published in Germany (publishers location) and at least 30 years must have passed since it was last published.
  
• An error occurred while importing the data set: Union-catalogue ID not found:
  Union ID not found: the work is not indexed in the DNB's holdings. The data could not be imported from a union catalogue due to the absence of a union-catalogue ID. More information at: “What is a union catalogue-ID and where can I find it?“
  
• An error occurred while importing the data set: Union-catalogue ID invalid:
  the work is not indexed in the DNB's holdings. The data could not be imported from a union catalogue due to an invalid union-catalogue ID. (Example union ID: DE-601|0410769649; DE-604|BV036428792)
  
• An error occurred while importing the data set: The union does not provide access to the necessary data interface at this time:
  the work is not indexed in the DNB's holdings. Due to a lack of data interfaces, it was not possible to import from the union catalogue. To search for titles that are not listed in the DNB catalogue, please use the GBV (K10+) and BVB/KOBV catalogues.
  
• An error occurred while importing the data set: technical error:
  the work is not indexed in the DNB's holdings. Aufgrund eines technischen Fehlers konnte kein Import aus einem Verbundkatalog erfolgen. The data could not be imported from a union catalogue due to a technical error. Please try again later or contact vergriffene.werke@dnb.de
  
• An error occurred while importing the data set: Bibliographic data not found:
  the work is not indexed in the DNB's holdings. The union-catalogue ID could not be identified in the union catalogue. It was therefore impossible to import data from a union catalogue.
  
• Union bibliographic data incomplete:
  the work is not indexed in the DNB's holdings. The work could not be processed further because information is missing from the union catalogue. Please note the expanded completeness criteria for processing union bibliographic data. More information at: “I Can’t make any amendments to the title information in the union catalougue. Who can I contact?“
  
• No matches in the data pool:
  Please use the VW-LiS union data search function for works which are not indexed in the DNB catalogue

If a work is assigned the status "Review pending", this means that the automated data comparison against the directory of German Books in Print (VLB) has not yet taken place. Amendments or updates to bibliographic data may make it necessary to repeat the comparison; in these circumstances, another comparison will be initiated automatically. This happens for example when the author's name is added to a data record in which the copyright holder was previously not mentioned, or when an incorrect publication year is corrected.

The status "Review pending" applies to a large number of multi-volume works. Owing to the particularities of bibliographic cataloguing, it has hitherto been impossible to include these works in the automated availability directory comparison processes.

When licensing multi-volume works, please determine their current availability status intellectually and use the data mask for multi-volume works in your VW-LiS user account. More information at: “How do I determine the availability status of multi-volume works?“

In order to ensure that all works published in any given year are recorded in full and in a legally compliant manner, the automatic data comparison performed to determine the availability status of monographs (VW-LiS data pool) encompasses complete years only. In practice, the statutory moving wall of 30 years provided for in section 52b subsection 3 actually results in a moving wall of 30+1 years when determining availability status.

At the beginning of each new calendar year, the next group of works published 31 years ago is automatically incorporated into the data comparison process and the status information (out-of-commerce, in print, review pending) in the German National Library's catalogue and data pool is adjusted accordingly.

The current availability status of multi-volume monographs is determined intellectually by the institution submitting the application using the online catalogue of the directory of German Books in Print. (VLB, www.buchhandel.de).

The complex data structure of multi-volume works means that automated data comparison processes cannot be used to determine their availability status. However, institutions wishing to license these works can use a data mask to enter information and submit licence applications for out-of-commerce multi-volume works. The legal requirements relating to the selection and licensing of out-of-commerce works set out in section 52a VGG, the Out-of-commerce Works Regulation (NvWV) and the other provisions in the general agreement on the use of out-of-commerce works in books continue to apply as before.

The bibliographic data of multi-volume works entered into the data mask in your VW-LiS user account for licensing purposes are not imported into the VW-LiS data pool or indexed in the German National Library's catalogue.

Every work in the German National Library's catalogue for which a licence might theoretically be issued is collated in a data pool. Your uploaded files are compared against this pool. If a work is not found in the data pool, the union-catalogue ID in your uploaded bibliographic data is used to automatically search external bibliographic sources for matches. There are a number of reasons why such a search might return no matches:

• Multi-volume works: The availability status of multi-volume works cannot be determined automatically owing to the complex structure of their bibliographic data. If you wish to obtain licences for multi-volume works, you can determine their current availability status intellectually and use the data mask for multi-volume works in your VW-LiS user account.
  
  
• Periodica (journals, newspapers, press releases): It is possible that the bibliographic data you are researching contain individual works that are indexed as monographic publications but listed as periodicals in our collection. Since it is currently impossible to determine the availability status of periodicals automatically, this kind of material is not taken into account when creating the data pool.
  
  
• The data pool does not include works which were last published less than 30 years ago and/or which were not published in at least one German location.
  
  
• The union bibliographic data do not meet the legal requirements, are incomplete, or cannot be found in external sources. In cases like these, you will be given detailed status information for each title. Weitere Informationen unter: “What do the availability statuses mean?“

If a licence application cannot be submitted because of missing bibliographic data – if the publisher's name is missing from our data record, for instance – then a review will be necessary. Please contact our licencing service: vergriffene.werke@dnb.de

If a work is not contained in our catalogue, the status “Union title information incomplete” will be displayed. For purposes of your application, please add the following missing bibliographic information in the union catalogue you are using as the source of your search: copyright holder, title, year of publication, publisher/producer details, place of publication/production.

In order to establish the availability status of titles not indexed in our catalogue, please use the following union catalogues:

• Gemeinsamer Verbundkatalog (catalogue of the Gemeinsamer Bibliotheksverbund (Common Library Network, GBV))
  
• SWB-Online Katalog (catalogue of the Südwestdeutschen Bibliotheksverbund Baden-Württemberg, Saarland, Sachsen (South-West-German Library Consortium Baden-Wurttemberg, Saarland, Saxony, SWB))
  
• Gateway-Bayern (Shared portal of the Bibliotheksverbund Bayern (Bavarian Library Consortium, BVB) and the Kooperativer Bibliotheksverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (Co-Operative Library Consortium of Berlin-Brandenburg, KOBV))

All the works indexed therein feature a unique union-catalogue-ID, via which you can establish the current availability status using VW-LiS.

The union-catalogue-ID is a unique identifier by which works can be identified across different union catalogues. A union-catalogue-ID is comprised of two parts: the library consortium ISIL and the catalogue identifier.

Example: DE-627 | 0410769649

Example: DE-604 | BV036428792

You can find the catalogue identifier either in your local system or under “PPN” or "K10plus-PPN" in the catalogue of the GBV and SWB/under “Katalogschlüssel” (“catalogue key”) in the catalogue of the BVB/KOBV.

When searching for union-catalogue-IDs, you can conveniently select the preceding library consortium ISIL in the VW-LiS user interface:

DE-627 = K10plus (GBV & SWB)

DE-604 = B3Kat (BVB & KOBV)

Yes, the search function and subsequent licensing process is independent of where the bibliographic metadata are indexed. The determining factor is whether the title you are searching for exists in the physical collection of your institution.

Do you have the missing bibliographic information, but your institution does not participate in a library consortium? In order to have the missing information inserted for the purpose of the application, please contact a library that is a member of the corresponding library consortium. The respective holdings information is provided in the union catalogues.

Even if a work has already been requested by, or licensed to, one or more institutions, you can still request your own licence. This will be displayed to you in the licensing service in anonymised format with the status “Out of commerce: X application(s) made in accordance with VGG” (“vergriffen: X Antrag/Anträge nach VGG gestellt”): (1) directly in the results display when searching using a title list, or (2) when searching via the catalogue of the German National Library, as soon as the desired work has been transferred to the licensing service and you have registered with your user ID.

As soon as we have transmitted a licence application for a title to VG Wort, the current processing status for the respective title is then displayed. The following statuses are issued for licence applications:

• Antrag in Bearbeitung:
  Application has been sent to VG Wort, the six-week objection period is in effect.
  
  
• Antrag abgewiesen:
  Owing to an objection being lodged within the six-week period, no licence can be issued. No remuneration is to be paid.
  
  
• Lizenz erteilt:
  The six-week objection period has expired, the work can therefore be used.
  
  
• Lizenz zurückgenommen:
  A rights-holder has subsequently objected to the work being used, the licence is therefore invalid. The fees will not be reimbursed.
  
  
• Antrag zurückgezogen:
  You have decided against the issuing of a licence and withdrawn your application. Submit a new licence application via “My search results”.
  
  

• Antrag abgewiesen (kein Vertragsbeitritt):
  Your licence application will continue to be processed as soon as you sign up to the “framework agreement on the use of out-of-commerce works in books”.

Ongoing technical developments can sometimes cause errors in the display of work data, status information, links and help functions.

Have you found an error? If so, please report it to vergriffene.werke@dnb.de so that we can correct it.

Digitalisate nicht verfügbarer Werke, für die Sie eine Lizenz erworben haben, sind in Online-Katalogen mit dem Rights Statement „in Copyright“ und einem Zusatz zur Wahrnehmung der Rechte durch die VG WORT und VG BILD-KUNST sowie einem Rechtevorbehalt nach § 44b zu kennzeichnen (§ 2 Abs. 8 Rahmenvertrag zur Nutzung nicht verfügbarer Werke in verlegten Schriften ):

• Rights Statement: In Copyright (InC 1.0) – Wahrnehmung der Rechte durch die VG WORT und VG BILD-KUNST (§ 52 VGG). Nutzung nach § 44b Abs. 2 in Verbindung mit Abs. 3 UrhG für Zwecke des Text- und Data-Minings vorbehalten.

No, the collecting management organisations do not grant Creative Commons licences for the use and provision of access to out-of-commerce works.

The framework agreement for using out-of-commerce works in printed publications regulates non-exclusive grants of reproduction rights (section 16 UrhG), distribution rights (section 17 UrhG ) and public recitation, performance and presentation rights, especially the right to make works available to the public (sections 19 , 19a UrhG), thereby enabling cultural heritage institutions to use out-of-commerce works.

The extent to which works can be made accessible and used by end users is regulated by copyright and/or other relevant intellectual property rights, and may also be subject to the provisions imposed by the institution providing access to the work.

In keeping with the relevant copyright regulations and the legislator's intention, the German National Library also deems it reasonable for cultural heritage institutions to make digitised versions of licensed out-of-commerce works in printed publications available to its users regardless of time and location, i.e. also outside its reading rooms, to enable (OCR) full-text searches, and to integrate (OCR) full texts of digitised out-of-commerce works into full-text search indices spanning multiple works and holdings in their catalogues and digital collections so that users can find and view them. Furthermore, section 60d UrhG allows institutions to make corpora of digitised out-of-commerce works available to users who wish to carry out non-commercial text and data mining activities for scientific purposes. In the German National Library's view, copyright regulations and licences for out-of-commerce works do not cover user downloads of complete digitised works (accessed externally) through the catalogues, access applications and data interfaces of the institution holding the licence.

The Out-of-commerce Works Portal (OOCW Portal) is the central directory for works used by cultural heritage institutions in EU member states under the provisions for out-of-commerce works set out in the Digital Single Market Directive (DSM). The Out-of-commerce Works Portal is developed and operated by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The OOCW Portal superseded the German Register of Out-of-commerce Works maintained by the German Patient and Trade Mark Office with effect from 7 June 2021. The transfer of data from the German Register to the new OOCW Portal will be complete by the end of 2025 (see section 141 (3) VGG). Previously granted licences will remain valid.

All works whose use is based on sections 52 ff. VGG or section section 61d UrhG must be made public in the Out-of-commerce Works Portal. Each work is identified using basic bibliographic metadata made available to the public, among others title of the work, names of the copyright holders, publisher, publisher location and year of publication.

The Out-of-commerce Works Portal does not offer access to digitised works.

The Out-of-commerce Works Portal is the first port of call for rights holders wishing to research out-of-commerce works used by cultural heritage institutions and to lodge objections to their use if applicable.

When a collecting management organisation manages rights to out-of-commerce works and issues usage licences to cultural heritage institutions, this collecting management organisation must post the data in the Out-of-commerce Works Portal. When using the VW-LiS licensing service to license out-of-commerce works in printed publications, the data is posted by VG WORT:

• section 52a Abs. 1 Nr. 4 VGG
  the collecting management organisation discloses information [...] in the online portal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office […]

Only if there is no sufficiently representative collecting management organsiation and the use of the works is based on the default regulation is the cultural heritage institution responsible for making the disclosure:

• section 61d subsection 3 UrhG
  The cultural heritage institution must provide access to information about the respective works in the online portal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office throughout their periods of use […]

There is no obligation to register your institution in the Out-of-commerce Works Portal.
Individual registration is not required when using VW-LiS to obtain licences.

Registration in the Out-of-commerce Works Portal is only necessary if your institution wishes to use works under the default regulation in section 61d UrhG ; if this is the case, your institution will become responsible for disclosing the data required by law. (vgl. section 1d (1) 1 no. 4).

No. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) does not grant licences. Licenses for unavailable works are still granted solely by the competent collecting management organisations.