Australia signs Marrakesh Treaty to improve access to books for blind people
The Australian Government has signed the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled.
The treaty will boost access to books for an estimated 285 million people with vision impairments around the world, the Australian Government said in a statement.
As previously reported by Books+Publishing, the treaty will legalise the sharing of accessible versions of Braille, large print and audio books across national boundaries. Previously, copyright law based on national jurisdiction has prevented this practise.
The removal of copyright barriers will end what Attorney General George Brandis has called the ‘book drought’ for people who are blind or print-disabled.
Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb said ‘the treaty has appropriate safeguards in place that are designed to protect the interests of authors, publishers and readers’.
To date, the treaty has over 60 signatories, including the US and the UK. It will come into effect following the ratification of 20 countries.
Tags: copyright
Category: Local news
