MPAA, National Federation for the Blind Urge Senate Ratification of WIPO Marrakech Treaty

MPAA and the National Federation of the Blind jointly called on the Senate to ratify the World Intellectual Property Organization's Marrakech Treaty on improving access to published works for the blind and otherwise print disabled. The treaty “provides a strong example of how nations and stakeholders can work together to improve access for the blind and those otherwise print disabled, while also remaining consistent with existing international copyright norms,” said MPAA CEO Chris Dodd and NFB President Mark Riccobono in a joint statement. “The agreement will have substantial benefits for blind and print disabled individuals, who will gain vastly increased access to the world's published works.” The treaty “strikes a meaningful balance that came about through collective action by a wide range of parties and the WIPO countries themselves,” Dodd and Riccobono said Tuesday.