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There is less than a month to go before a planned vote in the European Parliament on ratifying the Marrakesh Treaty. If this is done correctly, people with print disabilities could enjoy much wider access to knowledge and culture. IFLA continues to maintain the pressure for laws that let libraries maximise the impact of their work here.
On Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th January, representatives of European governments will discuss draft legislation to implement the Marrakesh Treaty in the European Union (EU). IFLA, alongside EBLIDA and EIFL, calls on Member States to reject amendments that would undermine its potential to help people with print disabilities.
Access to public legal information is essential if citizens are to understand, engage in, and influence how the decisions that affect them are made. With governments increasingly moving to digital-only provision of laws, regulations and standards, making sure that these are free, trustworthy, and preserved for the future is vital. A new IFLA Statement makes recommendations to this end.
After close engagement in the negotiation of the Marrakesh Treaty, culminating in its signature in 2013, libraries are now working to realise its promise. As part of its efforts to ensure that implementation matches the ambition of the Treaty, IFLA, alongside EBLIDA, has set out is position on the European Union's proposals for ratification.
Digital technologies have allowed for a richer, more diverse production of ideas and expressions than ever before. However, they also bring challenges as regards the preservation of cultural heritage, recognised as a target under the Sustainable Development goals. Success will require collaboration, not just between libraries, but also with policy-makers and the private sector. The latest Global Information Society Watch includes an article by IFLA setting out the issues.
term of office August 2017 – August 2019
IFLA joined a coalition of international and national NGOs at the 33rd meeting of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) on 14-18 November 2016. While IFLA works to achieve individual reforms at the national and regional level, WIPO is still the most effective place for achieving change which will allow libraries around the world to do their jobs in a digital age.
Libraries in too many countries around the world lack the basic laws needed to do the best by their communities. And even where laws exist, they frequently fail to take account of the realities of the digital age. As such, the gap between what our communities expect and what libraries are able to offer is growing. The World Intellectual Property Organisation and its members can help overcome this.
Libraries play a crucial role in bringing people to reading. From children’s books to the latest thrillers, they are the safety value in the copyright system that prevents access to culture being the preserve of the better off. But eLending has been surrounded by legal uncertainty for many years. Today, European judges decided that eBooks could indeed be treated as books, but further analysis of the decision will be necessary to understand its implications and limits.
IFLA attended the 7th annual Mozilla Festival (MozFest) on 28-30 October at Ravensbourne College, London, to set out the library perspective on copyright, especially in the context of current EU reforms.
A hundred Members of the European Parliament took the opportunity last week to meet librarians from their own countries, as part of Public Libraries 2020’s successful Generation Code: Born at the Library event. IFLA was proud to attend and lend its support, and help raise awareness of what needs to change in Brussels to help Europe's librarians do the best by their communities.
The growing use of digital technology to provide, access and share knowledge is leading to an ever wider gap between users’ expectations and what libraries were legally allowed to offer. At CopyCamp, a conference on copyright issues in Poland, IFLA set out the risks this poses to libraries' crucial balancing role, and called on participants to follow and support its work.
IFLA participated in a on 18-19 October on the implementation of the Treaty of Marrakesh in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This allowed key stakeholders from across Latin America shared experiences and concerns, and to work together to develop a roadmap towards effective ratification and real outcomes for people with print disabilities throughout the continent.
Five years ago IFLA released its current Statement on Open Access, and its contents still stands strong and relevant. IFLA wants to acknowledge the importance of open access for access to knowledge and promote open access by sharing stories from our members during the International Open Access Week 2016.
Colombia is currently planning a major reform of its copyright laws which will impact libraries and their users. IFLA has addressed an open letter to the government, underlining that supporting Colombia’s libraries will promote education, creativity and innovation, as well as helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Despite political criticisms, trade-based globalisation is an unavoidable part of modern economies and society. As countries have sought to facilitate exchanges of goods and services, they have signed deals that have far reaching effects on national legislation. IFLA held a panel at this year's WTO Public Forum to explore the impacts on libraries, and whether recent trends give grounds for optimism or pessimism.
IFLA took the floor three times during the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, calling on ministers, heads of intellectual property offices and diplomats to agree on copyright reforms that will allow libraries to do the best by their users.
Three years and three months after it was signed, the Treaty of Marrakesh enters into force today. It is a time to celebrate a major advance in the struggle to give people with visual impairments equal access to knowledge. IFLA looks back at the work that brought us where we are today, and forwards to the challenges still ahead.
Last week, the European Commission published proposals for legislation which would implement the Treaty of Marrakesh. The benefits of EU ratification could be high, potentially more than doubling the number of countries involved, and making a wealth of European language works available to some of the most vulnerable people around the world. IFLA and EBLIDA, in a joint statement, welcomed these proposals, but cautioned that more work will be needed to ensure that no new barriers to access to knowledge are created.
Exceptions and limitations have been a key part of the international copyright system since its inception, protecting and promoting the goals of education and innovation. Increasingly, they are shaped by the text of trade deals. What impact will this have for access to knowledge, and the institutions that promote this? IFLA is organising a panel discussion at the WTO Public Forum on 28 September to find out.