[LINK] Filmmakers’ group tries to reshape treaty that would benefit the blind

[Kim Holburn]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/filmmakers-group-tries-to-reshape-treaty-that-would-benefit-the-blind/2013/06/22/f98e6130-d761-11e2-9df4-895344c13c30_story.html?tid=rssfeed

> Filmmakers’ group tries to reshape treaty that would benefit the blind

> Hundreds of negotiators from around the world have descended on Morocco this week to finalize a treaty aimed at ensuring that millions  of blind and vision-impaired people can get books in accessible formats like audio, Braille and large print.
> 
> But the treaty, years in the making, could be in jeopardy because of unresolved differences between advocates for the blind and the Motion Picture Association of America, which says the accord could undermine protections important for filmmakers, publishers and other major industries.

...

> Advocates for the blind are pressing to extend the kind of rights afforded by U.S. law — which allow books to be converted to accessible formats without seeking permission from copyright holders — to the 300 million blind and visually impaired people around the globe. Only 1 percent of the world’s books are in such a format, according to the World Blind Union.
> 
> But the MPAA has been using its considerable clout with Washington officials to press for changes in the accord, warning that loosening copyright protections to help the blind could set a costly precedent.

...





-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
T: +61 2 61402408  M: +61 404072753
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request