Human Rights Perspectives on Access of the Blind, Visually Impaired and Other Reading Disabled Persons to Copyrighted Materials

Abstract

The present thesis deals with the unsatisfactory access of the blind and visually impaired persons to accessible copyrighted materials as part of the clash of human rights and intellectual property rights. Therefore, numerous human rights of these groups of people affected by the lack of access to copyrighted works are studied. Finally, the World intellectual Property Organisation Draft Treaty for Improved Access for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Other Reading Disabled Persons to Copyrighted Materials and its contribution to the idea of a human rights framework for intellectual property is investigated. The thesis finds the Draft Treaty a useful tool in realization of a better access for the visually impaired community, as well as in creation of a human rights framework for intellectual property rights as a hybrid solution to the aforementioned clash of these two areas of law.

Keywords: right to read, human rights, intellectual property, WIPO Draft Treaty