§121A Limitations on exclusive rights: reproduction for blind or other people with disabilities in Marrakesh Treaty countries

Summary

Authorized groups may send copies or sound recordings of already-published books or music written as text or notation in accessible formats to other countries without it being a copyright violation, as long as the shipment goes to either an authorized group or to an eligible person in a country that joined the Marrakesh Treaty. Authorized groups and eligible persons may also bring such accessible copies into the United States without it being a copyright violation. When doing this, an authorized group must have and follow reasonable practices to check who is eligible; keep distribution only to eligible people and other authorized groups; try to prevent illegal copying; handle and record the copies carefully while protecting privacy; and publish the titles and formats they have and the policies and partners they use for cross-border sharing. This does not create a new right to sue, does not let a federal agency regulate these activities, and does not limit other activities allowed under copyright law. Definitions: "accessible format" = formats usable by people with print disabilities; "authorized entity" = an organization that helps eligible people; "eligible person" = someone who has a qualifying print disability. The Marrakesh Treaty named here is the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities, concluded at Marrakesh, Morocco, on June 28, 2013.