Success for people with print disabilities: The Marrakesh Treaty

Abstract

On June 27, 2013, Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. It is the first WIPO treaty to focus on user rights, and the first copyright treaty to include a clear human rights perspective. Its overarching objective is to increase the availability of reading material to over 300 million people around the world with print disabilities, and in terms of take-up by Member States, it is WIPO's fastest moving and most popular treaty. It constitutes a major success for libraries that played a leading role in treaty negotiations at WIPO, and are key to its successful implementation at national level. The treaty provides an opportunity for libraries of all types to boost services to people with print disabilities, helping libraries to better fulfil their public service mission of making knowledge and information available to everyone on an equal and inclusive basis.