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

[Jan Whitaker]

At 08:58 AM 24/06/2013, Kim Holburn wrote:
> > 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.

didn't read the whole story, but there is a bit 
more to it. The issue is really about the amount 
of duplication that is required to convert into 
accessible formats because of restrictions on 
border crossing. The same book must be converted 
separately in each country, even if in the same 
language, which restricts the number of total 
books converted. If all the English versions 
could be shared, each country could do different 
ones. I saw a Big Ideas show this weekend given 
by Ron McCallum, 
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/bigideas/stories/2013/06/17/3780264.htm 
, that explains the situation at the very end of the talk.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the 
world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

_ __________________ _