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Commercial Availability: The Poison Pill for Marrakesh Treaty Implementation

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

That’s the lobbying position of some companies in the intellectual property field when implementing the new Marrakesh Copyright Treaty. Libraries for people who are blind or dyslexic are the primary source of accessible books in audio, large print or braille. Bookshare was created under the Section 121 U.S.

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Bringing Millions of Books to Billions of People: Making the Book Truly Accessible

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

With a press of a virtual button, an ebook can be printed, displayed in large print (on a page or on a display), made into braille (on a page or on an electronic braille display), or read aloud as audio. I believe it is a combination of copyright exceptions and business model innovations. My idea was completely legal!

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What is in the Treaty of Marrakesh?

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

First, it makes creating a national domestic copyright exception an obligation of countries that ratify the Treaty. Second, the Treaty allows for easier import and export of accessible versions of books and other copyrighted works. It covers music in the form of sheet music, but not audio or videos of performances. Article 2(c).

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Why Your Country Should Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

This historic international copyright exception treaty paves the way for a future in which people who cannot read regular printed materials can have equal access to books, regardless of where they live. Here’s why the Marrakesh Treaty is so important and why your country can help ensure it benefits the millions who need it.

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Big Meeting on the Treaty this Week!

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

The goal of the Treaty is to make a copyright exception for the blind and other people with disabilities that stop them from reading print, and to make import and export of accessible content legal. Bureaucratic barriers to utilizing a copyright exception, as proposed by some publishers, makes the cost even greater.

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Donor Spotlight: Lavelle Fund for the Blind

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

And what are some of the social benefits and impact that may result from such a relationship? The Lavelle Fund also supports programs benefiting the developing world. What is it like for a nonprofit to have a successful, lasting partnership with a private philanthropic foundation? government and states like Texas.

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Towards Global Access for the Print Disabled

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

A Policy Update from an engineer, Jim Fruchterman of Benetech June 8, 2010 The international copyright negotiations in Geneva around a proposed Treaty for the Visually Impaired (“TVI”) have been steadily heating up. A definition of formats that includes Braille, audio and digital text, but excludes large print and video.