International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Releases Marrakesh Monitoring Report 2026

From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA):

128 countries are now signed up to the marrakesh treaty, which removes unnecessary copyright barriers to the creation of and access to books and other materials in accessible formats for people with print disabilities. but how far have they aligned their national laws with the treaty’s goals?

The Treaty was agreed in Marrakesh 2013, and is a landmark in terms of its focus on the interests of users, namely persons with print disabilities – blindness, partial sightedness, and other conditions that make it impossible to use written books and other materials in the same way as others.

It addresses the market failure created by the existing international copyright system, which left the responsibility to decide whether to convert books and other materials into accessible formats up to publishers and other rightholders. This situation also meant there was no legal certainty for the sharing of such materials across borders.

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The Marrakesh Monitoring Report therefore focuses on how far countries governments have made use of these possibilities, as well as identifying where there are rules that go beyond the Treaty in imposing registration obligations or reporting requirements on libraries. It also assesses whether governments have designed laws in ways that support persons with dyslexia (who do fall under the Treaty definitions), and with other disabilities (who can be covered, but this is not compulsory).

A novelty in the 2026 edition is the inclusion of information about whether governments have explicitly referenced the possibility for cross-border exchange. While this is a priori possible for all countries which have ratified or acceded to the Treaty, it is powerful to have it stated clearly in national law.

A further change is the addition of all states which are members of WIPO, making the list more complete.

Read the Complete Introductory Post 

Direct to Full Text: Marrakesh Monitoring Report 2026
55 pages; PDF. 

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