Since 1997, there has been an obligation to publish academic theses for the award of an academic degree in Austria. While this obligation was previously fulfilled by placing the theses in the respective university libraries and, in the case of dissertations, in the National Library, publication has increasingly shifted to the digital space in the last 15 years. This contribution starts with looking at the various terms and clarifies the question of which materials fall under these designations. Specific Austrian legal aspects not only play a role in this regard, but also define the limits to which universities are subject when collecting academic theses. The situations at universities, art universities, private universities and universities of applied sciences are dealt with separately. Furthermore, aspects of study law are examined that have an impact on the systematic collection of university theses in a repository. Finally, the connection between the establishment of university repositories and academic integrity is shown.