The US Senate unanimously passed the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act on June 28, which will now go to the House.
The goal of the treaty is to remove obstacles to accessible literature for blind and visually impaired people all over the world. The World Blind Union reports that only 1%-7% of all published books are in an accessible format for blind people.
The treaty essentially creates an exemption to domestic copyright rules for blind people. It will allow blind people and their organisations, including nonprofits and government agencies, to make and distribute copyrighted works in accessible formats freely, including across borders in participating countries.
While the treaty was first drafted in Washington DC, the US is behind the 39 countries WIPO reports have ratified the treaty.
Following the Senate’s consent, Knowledge Ecology International released a statement, including: “The fact that the treaty was approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate, and that ratification was supported by both President Obama and President Trump, and in the end, every publisher group, illustrates the deep legitimacy of this instrument”.
Additionally, Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said in a statement: "We urge the US House of Representatives to join their Senate colleagues in swiftly passing S. 2559, so that the door to expanded literacy and access to the world's knowledge will be unlocked for millions of blind Americans."
