Setting Its Sights on the Marrakesh Treaty: The U.S. Role in Alleviating the Book Famine for Persons with Print Disabilities

Abstract

Today, a global book famine deprives hundreds of millions of persons with print disabilities access to basic information worldwide. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reports that the visually impaired have access to merely 5 percent of published books. Amid the global movement to reevaluate copyright laws for the digital age, a watershed opportunity exists to harmonize the deficient patchwork of national and international copyright laws perpetuating the book famine. After years of stalled progress, WIPO recently adopted the landmark Marrakesh Treaty to alleviate copyright barriers to access for the print-disabled worldwide. This Note argues that the United States should support the Marrakesh Treaty, while also continuing its national reform efforts. Since the Marrakesh Treaty is not a comprehensive solution, this Note advocates for United States to utilize this historic treaty as a vehicle to modernize its own national copyright laws to achieve equitable access for persons with print disabilities.