[A2k] IFRRO statement at WIPO on accessible reading materials for the blind in a trusted environment

[James Love]

This morning at the WIPO SCCR 17, the International Federation of
Reproduction Rights Organizations (IFRRO) has passed out a statement on
the promotion of accessible reading materials for the blind in a trusted
environment.

The European Commission has pushed this hard in their morning
intervention.

Basically, IFRRO is seeking to stop consideration of the WBU proposal
for a treaty.  They want to WIPO to "launch a platform of stakeholder
consultations to develop a roadmap for ensuring access for the blind and
visually impaired."

The roadmap would include "a set of best practice guidelines and/or a
sample agreement in order to facilitate the greater availability of
accessible reading materials for the blind and visually impaired in a
trusted and secure environment."

This appears to be the form of the resistance of the treaty proposal.
The collection societies and book publishers would be in a position to
dictate the terms of the distribution of works in developing countries,
to address remuneration issues, and to avoid dealing with harmonization
of limitations and exceptions.  At the same time, the Group B countries
backing this will claim they are helping blind and other reading
disabled persons.

Today Jukka Liedes, the SCCR chair for life, will be drafting some
tenative recommendations on how to proceed on the SCCR work program on
L&E, for distribution tomorrow morning.

Jamie

--
James Love, Director, Knowledge Ecology International
http://www.keionline.org | mailto:james.love at keionline.org
Wk: +1.202.332.2671 | US Mobile +1.202.361.3040 | Geneva Mobile +41.76.413.6584