The miracle of Marrakesh: The WIPO Treaty for the Visually Impaired

Abstract

In May 2009, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay presented to the 18th Session of WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) a proposal for a treaty drafted by the World Blind Union. The purpose of this treaty was to ensure that all countries in the world could benefit from an international exception to copyright law that would diminish the «book famine» that persons with print disabilities suffer due to copyright restrictions. On one hand, this exception would allow institutions and individuals to produce and distribute books in alternative formats. On the other hand, this treaty would provide the adequate legal framework needed to exchange existing materials in accessible format between authorised entities in the signatory countries.