Oh, for God's Sake.

[la_vie_noire]

Via the_future_modernes.

USA, Canada and the EU attempt to kill treaty to protect blind people's access to written material

Right now, in Geneva, at the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization, history is being made. For the first time in WIPO history, the body that creates the world's copyright treaties is attempting to write a copyright treaty dedicated to protecting the interests of copyright users, not just copyright owners.

At issue is a treaty to protect the rights of blind people and people with other disabilities that affect reading (people with dyslexia, people who are paralyzed or lack arms or hands for turning pages), introduced by Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay. This should be a slam dunk: who wouldn't want a harmonized system of copyright exceptions that ensure that it's possible for disabled people to get access to the written word?

The USA, that's who. The Obama administration's negotiators have joined with a rogue's gallery of rich country trade representatives to oppose protection for blind people. Other nations and regions opposing the rights of blind people include Canada and the EU.

Update: Also opposing rights for disabled people: Australia, New Zealand, the Vatican and Norway.

Update 2: Countries that are on the right side of this include, "Latin American and Caribbean region including (Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Jamaica) as well as Asia and Africa."

PDF of the Treaty.

Comments

[skywardprodigal]

I'm having a hard time understanding why Canada and the US have chosen the way they have.

[la_vie_noire]

I'm thinking it may be for fearing the "free distribution of copyrighted works". But still. Too much asshatery.

[la_vie_noire]

Ooh, not only that. From what I have read it may affect the power and the profit they have over exporting works in format accessible to disabled people to other (developing) countries.

[bell]

A massive, massive :|.

[la_vie_noire]

Yeah. -_-

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

.......... what.

[la-vie-noire.livejournal.com]

Sí, el uso de "copy-right" no les debe poner feliz. Tendrá sus problemas para algunos artistas, pero sinceramente, leyéndolo y sabiendo que no mucha gente con total capacidad corporal preferirá ese formato, no es que me importe mucho.

[outou.livejournal.com]

"These works...are typically created under national exceptions to copyright law that are specifically written to benefit persons with disabilities...

The opposition from the United States and other high income countries is due to intense lobbying from a large group of publishers that oppose a 'paradigm shift,' where treaties would protect consumer interests, rather than expand rights for copyright owners."

This is being opposed (while somewhat due to the desire to protect national control over copyright law) largely because of the influence of a group of lobbyists? How pathetic!

[la-vie-noire.livejournal.com]

Pretty much so. :|