15 Feb 2016

The Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) hosted a consultative workshop to discuss the Marrakesh Treaty, which facilitates access to published works for people with blindness or the print disabled.

Speaking at the workshop held on Thursday in Gaborone, copyright administrator Ms Keitseng Monyatsi said the Marrakesh Treaty has been adopted by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which Botswana is a member of. 

She said the treaty requires contracting parties to include in their national laws, limitations and exceptions to copyright protection to allow reproduction and distribution of published works to people who are visually impaired or blind.

She said the Ministry of Trade and Industry has found it necessary to accede to the Marrakesh Treaty for the benefit of its citizens. 

Ms Monyatsi explained that the treaty will be of benefit to people with visual impairment or blindness as they are faced with challenges of delayed access to information due to the need to acquire authorisation to convert works into an accessible format.

“Modern technologies allow for works to be converted speedily and at affordable costs, but the need for authorisation prohibits or delays entities serving beneficiary persons from converting and availing personal copies to them,” she said.

However, Ms Monyatsi highlighted that the treaty will come into force after 20 WIPO member states have deposited their instruments of accession. 

She added that so far eleven countries have deposited their instruments of accession, which include the likes of Argentina, Mali, India and Mexico.

 Meanwhile, Mr Omphemetse Ramabokwa of the Botswana National Library Services said lack of access to information remains a major challenge to people with visual impairment.

 
“It is a fact. Without information one is doomed to a life of poverty and disease in this era of information. However, we are still experiencing the book ‘famine’ era due to inaccessible information materials that we cannot read as they are mostly in print format,” he said.

Mr Ramabokwa cited discrimination and lack of electronic devices as contributing challenges. “Even though some published works can be accessed electronically, it remains impossible for us to simply browse the books in a bookstore,” he declared. Ends