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People with visual disabilities will benefit from cross-border exchange of books through the implementation of the Marrakech Treaty

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< strong > People with visual disabilities will benefit from cross-border exchange of books by implementing the Marrakech Treaty < / strong >

< strong > People with visual disabilities will benefit from cross-border exchange of books by implementing the Marrakech Treaty < / strong >

Content of the News

The World Intellectual Property Organization (Ompi) officially notify the Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) through the National Copyright Office that authorized entities under the Treaty of Marrakech have access to the online catalogue of the ABC's World Books Service.

That means that users of authorized Panamanian entities such as the Inter-American Biblioteca Simón Bolívar at the University of Panama and the National Bilblioteca Ernesto J. Castillero will be able to benefit from cross-border exchange of books, at no cost, in accessible formats, through the World Book Consortium (ABC) with a catalogue of 960,000 titles in 80 languages, including 18,000 Spanish-language titles.

Eric Velasco, national director of copyright expressed that "this communication was a result of the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Culture to implement the Treaty of Marrakech and to recognize as authorized entities of the Inter-American Biblioteca Simón Bolívar of the University of Panama and of the Biblioteca Nacional Ernesto J. Castillero, while complying with the commitments established by the Treaty."

The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) is a public and private partnership headed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and that includes organizations representing people with difficulties with access to print text, such as the World Blind Union (WBU), libraries for the blind, standards agencies and organisations representing authors, publishers and collective management agencies.