The rules dictating when one can copy books can be difficult to navigate. To help you, we have listed the most important rules below.

Strictly speaking, if you have bought an e-book, you are allowed to share it with others in your household. However, you must not share an e-book with others outside your household (e.g., friends, fellow students, Facebook groups, etc.). Other tenants in your student residence do not count as members of your household.

Of course, this is applicable if you have bought the e-book legally. You are not permitted to share a book borrowed from the library, for example.

It is also illegal to receive a copied book or e-book.

You can copy a printed book, but only for private use (i.e., for your own use or for use by your immediate associates). You can make 1–2 copies only. If you limit copies to a couple of pages, you can make up to 5–6 copies of each page.

If, instead, you decide to scan the book, the same rules apply as for copying e-books; only you or members of your household can use the scanned copy.

Copy shops must not be used when copying textbooks.

According to the Danish Copyright Act, it is illegal to copy and share books except in the cases listed above.

If you break the rules, you risk being liable to pay compensation, fines, or you could face imprisonment in severe cases.

The fine for illegally sharing textbooks is typically DKK 5–10,000.