Historic Copyright Victory for Blind Readers
Posted on June 26, 2013
On This Page
This is a post about a historic United Nations Treaty. The treaty protects the rights of blind people to read by relaxing copyright laws. This means that blind people will be able to obtain books in formats other than standard print.
Congratulations to the international blindness community and other copyright activists around the globe! What some are calling the “Marakesh Miracle” happened on June 25, 2013 as negotiators ironed out the final details of an historic treaty protecting the reading rights of people who are blind and have other print disabilities. After five years of activism, organizing and hard work, The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) concluded negotiations on the treaty which contains limitations and exceptions to copyright for blind and visually impaired persons and others with print disabilities. Copyright changes are critical for blind people to obtain reading materials in formats they can use, such as Braille, electronic formats, and audio books.
The treaty, once ratified and adopted, will create improved access to books around the globe. The draft document now goes to the full United Nations plenary for adoption and review and, ultimately, ratification and implementation. Jump to Resources [...]