Baku, Azerbaijan, October 9
Trend:
The Chairman of the Board of the Intellectual Property Agency of Azerbaijan Kamran Imanov, who participated in the 58th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), held in Geneva in early October, has presented to the WIPO Director General Francis Gurry the relevant documents about the country’s accession to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, the agency said in a statement October 8.
The treaty was adopted on June 27, 2013 in the city of Morocco. After the adoption of this treaty, the conditions were created for the blind, disabled people with visual impairments for ensuring their freedom to look for any information and ideas of their choice, as well as to receive and disseminate them on an equal basis with persons who do not have such a disability.
In addition, the conditions have been created for the adequate solution of problems that restrict their opportunities in receiving the education.
The new legal framework provided for in the treaty guarantees internationally the use of scientific, literary work and work of art by the blind and visually impaired persons, creates opportunities for eliminating the lack of possible accessible formats of this work for such persons, and also allows cross-border exchange of copies in such format.
Azerbaijan’s participation in the Marrakesh Treaty will serve to expand the country's international relations in this area, closely integrate citizens of this category into the society and increase the efficiency of use of their potential. In addition, it will provide a balance between copyright protection and the interests of the general public, in particular in the fields of education, research and information, and also help to take this balance into account in regard to the blind and visually impaired persons.
On June 12, President Ilham Aliyev signed the law on joining the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled.
Azerbaijan is the 42nd country to accede to the Marrakesh Treaty. The Treaty will enter into force for Azerbaijan on December 24, 2018.