Printers and Publishers Act
(CHAPTER 246)

(Original Enactment: Indian Act XI of 1835)

REVISED EDITION 1985
(30th March 1987)
An Act to regulate the printing and publication of books and to provide for the preservation of copies of books.
[3rd August 1835]
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Printers and Publishers Act.
Interpretation
2.  In this Act, unless there is something repugnant in the subject or context —
“book” includes every volume, part or division of a volume, report, pamphlet, periodical, newspaper, Government publication, sheet of letterpress, sheet of music, map, chart, plan or table, print, drawing and other graphic art forms, which are made available for sale or by unrestricted distribution free of charge; but does not include legal documents, printed forms, trade circulars, timetables or other business documents;
“printed”, as applied to books, means produced by printing, lithography, photography, duplication or any other like process, and “printer” has a corresponding meaning;
“publisher” means any person, group of persons whether in partnership or otherwise, company or society that arranges the offer of a book for sale or distribution free of charge.
Publication of newspapers and books
3.  No book shall be printed or published except in conformity with this Act.
Five copies of all books and of all subsequent editions to be delivered to National Library within one month of being printed
4.—(1)  Five printed copies of the whole of every book which is printed or published in Singapore, together with all maps, prints or other engravings belonging thereto finished and coloured in the same manner as the best copies of the same are produced, and also of any second or subsequent edition which is so produced with any additions or alterations, whether the same are in the letterpress, or in the maps, prints or other engravings belonging thereto, shall, within one calendar month after the day on which any such book is first delivered out of the press, and notwithstanding any agreement, if the book is published, between the printer and the publisher thereof, be delivered free of charge by the publisher bound, sewn or stitched together, and upon the best paper on which the same is printed, to the Director of the National Library.
(2)  The officer to whom any copies of books are delivered under this Act shall give a receipt in writing for them.
Disposal of 5 copies
5.  Of the 5 copies of every book deposited under this Act, two copies shall be preserved in the National Library and the remaining copies shall be disposed of as the Director of the National Library thinks fit.
Registration of memorandum of books
6.—(1)  There shall be kept by the Director of the National Library a book to be called “A Catalogue of Books printed or published in Singapore”, wherein shall be registered as soon as possible after the delivery of any book under this Act a memorandum of the book, which memorandum shall, so far as is practicable, contain the following particulars:
(a)the title of the book and the contents of the title page, with a translation into English of that title and contents when they are not in the English language;
(b)the language in which the book is written;
(c)the name of the author, translator or editor of the book;
(d)the subject;
(e)the place of printing and the place of publication;
(f)the name or firm of the printer and the name or firm of the publisher;
(g)the date of issue from the press or of the publication;
(h)the number of sheets, leaves or pages;
(i)the size;
(j)the number of the edition;
(k)the number of copies of which the edition consists;
(l)the price at which the book is sold to the public; and
(m)the name and residence of the proprietor of the copyright, or of any portion of the copyright.
(2)  The particulars referred to in subsection (1) shall be provided by the publisher within two weeks after the day on which the book is delivered to the Director of the National Library.
Publication of memoranda registered
7.  The memoranda registered during each quarter in the catalogue referred to in section 6 shall be published in the Gazette as soon as possible after the end of each quarter.
Penalty for non-delivery of books by publisher
8.  Any publisher who neglects to deliver 5 copies of any such book or of any second or subsequent edition of any such book to the Director of the National Library and in the manner hereinbefore prescribed shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.
Minister may make rules and exclude any class of books from the operation of this Act
9.  The Minister may —
(a)make rules for carrying out the objects of this Act; and
(b)by notification in the Gazette exclude any class of books from the operation of the whole or any part of this Act.