Why legal deposit copies?

The purpose of the act is to

Preserve the cultural heritage
The central purpose is to archive Finnish publications. Legal deposit collections preserve materials which could otherwise disappear very quickly from circulation and which are not preserved by other libraries. The comprehensive collections create a firm foundation for Finnish research.

Provide publications for research purposes

Information on Finnish publications is entered into the Fennica database of the Finnish National Bibliography and the Viola database of the National Discography. All materials are available for use by researchers and others who require the information. However, the protection of materials and copyright legislation places some restrictions on the use of the materials. The placement of legal deposit copy repositories around Finland supports regional equality.

The annual statistics on Finnish publications are made based on the amount of Legal Deposit Copies submitted.