U.S. Support Sought For Treaty to Allow Blind People Access to Copyrighted Works

From The Washington Post:

Advocates of visual disability groups from across the world urged the United States to get off the fence at the global copyright negotiations in Geneva this week and actively back a strong treaty that allows blind people access to copyrighted published works.
The proposed treaty would make it obligatory for countries to allow copyrighted printed published works to be converted into an accessible format for people with visual and reading disabilities and shared around the world without seeking permission from the copyright holder.
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“We are not against allowing an exception for people with print disabilities, but our concern is that a treaty will establish a precedent that they will then apply in the other areas like educational uses, library and archives,” said Allan Adler, vice president of legal and government affairs at the Association of American Publishers in a telephone interview. “Generally, international treaties establish the minimal rights of the copyright owners first, and not the limitations and exceptions to those rights.”

See Also: Related Videos Including Conversation With Alan Adler from the AAP (via KEI)
Adler interview embedded below.
See Also: US position at WIPO on “the Nature of the Instrument” for copyright exceptions for disabilities (via Knowledge Economy International)
See Also: US position at WIPO on “the Nature of the Instrument” for copyright exceptions for disabilities (via KEI)
See Also: IFLA Statement on Visually Impaired and Print Disabled Persons

Hat Tip: @naypinya

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Associations and Organizations, Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Interviews, Libraries, News, Profiles