Marrakesh Treaty Implementation: October 2019 Update

The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled marks a major victory in efforts to provide equitable access to information for all. For the 300 million people with print disabilities around the world, it promsies to be a life-changer. By removing the obligation to seek permission to make or share copies of books in accessible formats, it takes away an important barrier to providing books to people with print disabilities. Nonetheless, there are possibilities for Member States to (re)introduce obligations to pay rightholders or undertake other bureaucratic burdens. Governments can also do more or less to favour access to people with other disabilities (such as people experiencing deafness). IFLA is therefore periodically reviewing whether governments have passed the necessary national laws to make a reality of Marrakesh, and if so, whether they are maximising the potential for access.