That totally made my day.. I always used to fret about the fact that U. S. Citizens get access to all Bookshare books whereas we are only allowed to read a handful of those books. I am glad this has been rectified.. mr. Rahul Cherian would have been very happy as he worked so hard for this.
Sent from my iPhone On Jun 26, 2013, at 7:24 PM, Kartik Sawhney <[email protected]> wrote: > That is outstanding! A historic moment for all of us indeed. > > > On 6/26/13, Ketan Kothari <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi friends, >> >> Here we go: >> >> Miracle In Marrakesh: “Historic” Treaty For Visually Impaired Agreed >> Published on 26 June 2013 @ 3:26 am >> >> >> By Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch >> >> >> Marrakesh, Morocco – The mood was one of celebration at the Marrakesh Palais >> des Congrès to greet the success of World Intellectual Property Organization >> negotiators in their attempt to produce a draft treaty text showing >> consensus. After a difficult start to the week, delegates achieved success >> and the corridors of the conference centre echoed with laughter and >> congratulations. Tears of joy were shed as most celebrated this as an >> historic agreement. Visually impaired people and civil society supporting >> them were ecstatic, some said overwhelmed. >> >> The final informal consolidation draft text [pdf] was issued late at night, >> and all articles were adopted by a full room of delegates. The text is now >> off to the drafting committee which will ensure that all different language >> versions are consistent and compatible. >> >> WIPO members are meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 17-28 June to finalise >> a treaty on limitations and exceptions to copyright for blind and visually >> impaired persons, allowing them better cross-border access to books. >> >> For the visually impaired community, this is seen as nothing short of a >> miracle. After 10 days of hard negotiations, Dan Pescod, who leads the World >> Blind Union’s European campaign for the treaty, confessing exhaustion, told >> Intellectual Property Watch before the text was available “part of me wants >> to see the text in front of me and part of me feels this is an historic day >> many years in the making.” >> >> Maryanne Diamond, immediate past president of the World Blind Union, told >> Intellectual Property Watch that all issues that mattered for blind people >> had been addressed. “We are still in shock,” she said, adding “this is the >> beginning of changing the world for blind people.” >> >> Pablo Lecuona from the Latin American Blind Union said that for the past >> five years the blind community had been pushing for recognition of the >> problem of access to books for visually impaired people. “Now we have a >> treaty,” he told Intellectual Property Watch, but said they have further >> work, which is the ratification and the implementation of this treaty so >> that it is an effective tool so that blind people can access more books. >> >> “I am overwhelmed. It was so hard and it should not have been so hard,” said >> Jamie Love, a strong supporter of the treaty. “It took five years of hard >> work when it could have been much quicker but people really changed their >> mind when they met blind people. You could see a change in attitude in >> delegates,” he said. >> >> “The European Union and the United States delegates found a way to push back >> on industry lobbying,” he told Intellectual Property Watch, and even within >> industry, he added, there was a change of attitude, with some lobbyists >> pushing back hardliners. >> >> Jim Fruchterman, the head of Benetech, which runs Bookshare, a digital >> platform providing special format books for visually impaired people, said, >> “We are extremely excited about the treaty. We have the technology and we >> have the content, now we have a legal regime to make it possible for every >> person with print disabilities on the planet to get access to the books they >> need for education, employment, and social inclusion.” >> >> Delegates Displaying Glee >> >> The level of enthusiasm was the same among delegates, whether from >> developed, developing or least-developed countries. >> >> Justin Hughes, a US delegate, told Intellectual Property Watch, “It was a >> pleasure to work with Brazil, and the European Union, and Mexico in the >> early days to try to get the first collaborative text together. Obviously it >> feels wonderful to see that text come to fruition.” >> >> Another representative of Group B developed countries said that the text was >> balanced, as a European Union delegate said, “Everybody is very happy, very >> satisfied.” A delegate of the African Group said, “It is a miracle.” >> >> In a rare occurrence, all delegations, as well as civil society, celebrated >> in unison a treaty characterised as serving human rights. >> >> The enthusiasm was not as marked on the side of publishers. A source from >> the publishing industry told Intellectual Property Watch that the text was >> “pretty balanced” and that “there was something in it for everyone.” Visibly >> the text is not to their full satisfaction, but most interviewed said they >> were happy for visually impaired people. >> >> WIPO Director General Francis Gurry told observers that the treaty had been >> driven by nongovernmental organisations and it was not only a treaty, but a >> good treaty. He extended “his profound thanks” for what he describes as “a >> truly historic result.” >> >> “It is a great thing for WIPO, for intellectual property, for the >> multilateral system, but above all, for visually impaired persons,” Gurry >> said. He was greeted by sustained applause. Participants widely praised the >> work of the WIPO secretariat. >> >> After a difficult beginning of the week when progress was very limited on >> issues on which delegations stood firm, relief first came last Saturday when >> agreement was reached on the three-step test and the so-called Berne gap >> (IPW, WIPO, 24 June 2013). >> >> Agreement on Tough Issues >> >> Since then, there was mounting pressure to find agreement and the visually >> impaired representatives grew worried about the nature of the treaty. Among >> the issues remaining to be resolved as recently as yesterday were commercial >> availability, right of distribution to individuals, and right of >> translation. >> >> The issue of commercial availability, longstanding and pugnacious, was >> solved yesterday. Visually impaired people and developing countries wanted >> it out of the treaty, publishers and developed countries wanted it in. >> Finally, commercial availability still stands under Article 4 (National Law >> Limitations and Exceptions on Accessible Format Copies), but has disappeared >> from Article 5 (cross-border exchange of accessible format copies). >> >> The issue of the right of distribution to individuals was settled after >> “some additional safeguards and some additional information sharing >> mechanisms” were added to the text, according to Hughes. >> >> The text will come back to plenary to be reviewed and adopted, after having >> been through the drafting committee, on Thursday morning, said the WIPO >> secretariat, and countries will give their comments on the treaty at this >> time. >> >> >> >> >> >> Ketan Kothari >> Ph: +91:2224223281 >> Cell: +91-9987550614/+918108842280 >> Skype: ketan3333 >> Twitter: @muktaketan >> Facebook: Ketan Kothari >> Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of >> mobile phones / Tabs on: >> http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> >> >> Search for old postings at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to >> [email protected] >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please >> visit the list home page at >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> >> >> Disclaimer: >> 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the >> person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; >> >> 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails >> sent through this mailing list.. > > > -- > -Kartik Sawhney, > Mob.: 91-9560953728 > Landline: 91-11-29811529 > E-mail ID: [email protected] (all personal E-mails); > [email protected] (all academic E-mails) > Skype: kartik.sawhney22 > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
