Treaty for Visually Impaired Persons (TVI) and treaty proposal on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries and Archives (Tlib): implications for the Developing World

Access to knowledge is the key to socio-economic development in all countries around the world. Without access to information for personal, educational, social, business, political and many other reasons, individuals would not develop or advance beyond their current situations. Unfortunately, for too many people in the developing world, especially persons with sensory disabilities, access to knowledge is an unattainable goal. Their socio-economic circumstances restrict or prevent them from participating in civic, democratic or political activities, and the development process in their countries. Because they do not have access to necessary information to enable them to exercise their basic human rights, they cannot participate equally with those who are privileged to enjoy such rights. Their difficult socio-economic circumstances are exacerbated by draconian copyright laws, which block or seriously restrict access to knowledge. This paper discusses current copyright trends, human rights aspects and the implications of two treaties for the developing world, namely, the ‘Treaty for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Other Reading Disabled Persons’ (TVI), now called the ‘Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled’ and the ‘Treaty Proposal on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries and Archives’ (TLIB).