Limits on Creation, Distribution of Accessible E-books Debated in Visually Impaired Treaty Process

摘要

Fears about digital piracy and the rights of visually impaired people to access copyrighted worksnare major opposing considerations as negotiators meet this week in Morocco to conclude a World IntellectualnProperty Organization-facilitated treaty (http://bit.ly/14GygD9), stakeholders told us. In lettersnto U.S. officials, organizations representing intellectual property (IP) rightsholders have argued that anweak treaty in this area could set a bad precedent for future negotiations on IP rights, while consumernadvocates say those fears are overblown. Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn told us that IP rightsholdersn“want to make this exception as difficult to use as possible.” Potential provisions in the treatynwould “impose greater burdens on those that serve the blind,” said Rashmi Rangnath, director of PK’snGlobal Knowledge Initiative.