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. Read More
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. Read More
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) holds its General Assembly on 3-11 October 2016. IFLA will be there, calling for continued work on copyight limitations for libraries, congratulating Sylvie Forbin on her nomination as Deputy Director General of WIPO, and congratulating all who have helped bring the Treaty of Marrakesh to its entry into force. Read More
Starting tomorrow, the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation will meet together in Geneva. For IFLA, highlights will include discussions on future work on limitations on copyright for libraries, Ms Sylvie Forbin's first major event as Deputy Director General, Copyright and Creative Industries, and a celebration of the entry into force of the Treaty of Marrakesh. The latter shows that WIPO discussions can lead to results that offer wider access to knowledge, with dividends for growth, equality, human rights and well-being. Read More
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. Read More
IFLA continues to promote effective implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty, to the benefit of users with print disabilities and the libraries that serve them. The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired… Read More
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. Read More
The signing of the Treaty of Marrakesh in 2013 was a first step towards providing access to knowledge for some of the most vulnerable in society. It offers a response to the book famine that people with print disabilities have long faced. However, IFLA is concerned that when ratifying the Treaty, some countries risk introducing new barriers to access. This is completely contrary to the spirit of Marrakesh. Read More
The need to combat the ‘book famine’ for the blind, visually impaired, and other people with print disabilities was at the heart of the drive to pass the Treaty of Marrakesh. With the lack of accessible resources particularly acute in Africa, the potential for life-changing reforms there is high. Progress towards implementation of the Treaty is welcome, but libraries must be vigilant to ensure that the opportunity to maximise access is not missed. Read More
When countries around the world came together to discuss how to give visually impaired people easier access to books, libraries were at the heart of the drive for an ambitious, legally binding solution. These efforts paid off, with the Treaty of Marrakesh signed in 2013. Now it is time for implementation - a recent meeting in Panama offered a chance to advance down this path, with libraries having a strategic role. Read More