According to the World Health Organization, there are some 285 million blind and visually impaired persons in the
world, 90 per cent of whom live in developing countries. A WIPO survey in 2006 found that fewer than 60 countries
have limitations and exceptions clauses in their copyright laws that make special provision for visually impaired
persons, for example, for Braille, large print or digitized audio versions of copyrighted texts.
Also, according to the World Blind Union, of the million or so books published each year in the world, less than 10 percent are made available in formats accessible to visually impaired persons.
This is obviously the inferable reason upon which MARRAKESH TREATY was birthed. The purpose of Marrakesh Treaty is to facilitate access to
published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.
With the number of Blind and Visually impaired persons in Nigeria, there is no gainsaying that Nigeria should ratify the Marrakesh Treaty so as to create the framework for persons who are blind and visually impaired to enjoy access to literacy and related works.
The Marrakesh Treaty requires its contracting parties to adopt national law create the framework for persons who are blind
and visually impaired to enjoy access to literacy in a much more equal and inclusive way,
provisions that permit the reproduction, distribution and making available of published works in accessible formats – such as Braille - through limitations and exceptions to the rights of copyright holders. The Treaty is also designed to provide assurances to authors and publishers that that system will not expose
their published works to misuse or distribution to anyone other than the intended beneficiaries.
Credits: WIPO newsletter, 30/06/2016 .PR/2016/792
Barr. Harvey A. Anyalewechi
(An ardent IP Reseacher)
Lordharveys@gmail.com
world, 90 per cent of whom live in developing countries. A WIPO survey in 2006 found that fewer than 60 countries
have limitations and exceptions clauses in their copyright laws that make special provision for visually impaired
persons, for example, for Braille, large print or digitized audio versions of copyrighted texts.
Also, according to the World Blind Union, of the million or so books published each year in the world, less than 10 percent are made available in formats accessible to visually impaired persons.
This is obviously the inferable reason upon which MARRAKESH TREATY was birthed. The purpose of Marrakesh Treaty is to facilitate access to
published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.
With the number of Blind and Visually impaired persons in Nigeria, there is no gainsaying that Nigeria should ratify the Marrakesh Treaty so as to create the framework for persons who are blind and visually impaired to enjoy access to literacy and related works.
The Marrakesh Treaty requires its contracting parties to adopt national law create the framework for persons who are blind
and visually impaired to enjoy access to literacy in a much more equal and inclusive way,
provisions that permit the reproduction, distribution and making available of published works in accessible formats – such as Braille - through limitations and exceptions to the rights of copyright holders. The Treaty is also designed to provide assurances to authors and publishers that that system will not expose
their published works to misuse or distribution to anyone other than the intended beneficiaries.
Credits: WIPO newsletter, 30/06/2016 .PR/2016/792
Barr. Harvey A. Anyalewechi
(An ardent IP Reseacher)
Lordharveys@gmail.com
when I was in Secondary school, Government College Umuahia to be precise, we had blind students. the only way the could read was by recording the lectures with a cassette recorder. sometimes, they would beg a friend to read and record text books and class notes for them in their cassette recorder.
ReplyDeleteit wouldn't had been easy on them.