European Council Takes Action To Advance Marrakesh Treaty For Blind Persons 21/05/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Council of member states yesterday adopted a decision asking the European Commission to draft legislation on Europe’s ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty on increasing access to publications for blind and visually impaired readers.
Ratification Of Marrakesh Treaty For The Blind Postponed In Europe? 08/05/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The German Federation of Blind and Partially Sighted today sounded the alarm over another dispute about the “Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled”. The German and the Italian governments are blocking a compromise on the path for ratification in the European Union, the Blind Federation said in a press release. The EU Council of Ministers is expected to take a decision on the ratification next week
Ecuador Signs Marrakesh Treaty On Copyright Exceptions For Visually Impaired 08/05/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Today at the World Intellectual Property Organization, Ecuador signed the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, which is administered by WIPO.
Four More WIPO Members Sign Marrakesh Treaty For Visually Impaired 30/04/2014 by Catherine Saez and Maëli Astruc for Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments During a signing ceremony held today at the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Union, France, Greece and India signed the treaty adopted last June to provide a wider access to copyrighted books in special format for visually impaired people.
EU Wrestles With Procedure For Signing Marrakesh Treaty For Visually Impaired 03/04/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union recently approved a compromise proposal by the Greek presidency, setting up a decision on the EU Council’s signing later this month of the Marrakesh Treaty on access to books for blind and visually impaired persons. However, some EU members raised that the treaty lies within a shared competency between the EU and its member states.
Top IP-Watch Stories Of 2013: India, Marrakesh Treaty, Seed/Gene Patents, WIPO Election 09/01/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Looking back on 2013, the list of the most-viewed stories on the Intellectual Property Watch website shows that reporting on activities in India, especially related to patents and public health, continued to draw the most attention. Other top stories were the Marrakesh Treaty on copyright exceptions for blind readers, legal cases involving patents on seeds and on plant and human genes, the election for World Intellectual Property Organization director general, free-trade agreements (including the Wikileaks leak of the IP chapter of the Trans-Atlantic Partnership agreement), Russian copyrights, and 3D printing.
Developing Countries Lack Capacity To Take Advantage Of Marrakesh Treaty 18/12/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The 2013 Marrakesh Treaty has been applauded by beneficiaries throughout the world for answering the need for wider access to special format works for visually impaired people. However, the path to its implementation, even after it is ratified by enough countries, appears to be strewn with difficulties in developing countries, which will need capacity-building, according to a speaker at a discussion panel organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
US Signs WIPO Marrakesh Treaty On Copyright Exceptions For The Blind 11/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States has signed the World Intellectual Property Organization Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled.
Negotiators, Stakeholders Tell Tale Of WIPO Marrakesh Treaty Negotiation, Look To Implementation 20/09/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Several negotiators and other stakeholders participating in last June’s successful negotiation of an international treaty to ease access to reading material for blind and visually impaired people recently gathered in Washington, DC to look back on the remarkable and at-times bitter talks. Months later, not all agree on certain historical details, such as the US position, but all agree it was a significant accomplishment.
Library Group Publishes User Guide To WIPO Marrakesh Treaty 27/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) has released a user guide to the recently adopted “Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled.” LCA is an organisation representing three major North American library associations.