Part ofMarrakesh Treaty →

FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on the Marrakesh Treaty

Original title: TREATIES

January 1, 2020

Marrakesh Treaty Disability Rights Copyright Law International Treaties Blind and Visually Impaired

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

of the Marrakesh Treaty and passage of S. 2559 would update U.S. copyright law to allow for the international sharing of accessible-format books for people who are blind or print-disabled.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Blind and visually impaired individuals

The treaty aims to increase their access to books and published materials.

The treaty and implementing legislation involve changes to copyright exemptions.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing to discuss the of the Marrakesh Treaty, an international agreement designed to increase access to books and published materials for blind and visually impaired individuals. The committee reviewed the treaty's alignment with existing U.S. copyright law and the necessary , S. 2559.

Key Facts

The World Health Organization estimates 36 million people are blind and 217 million have moderate to severe vision impairment globally.
The Marrakesh Treaty aims to expand access to books and materials for the blind and visually impaired.
The treaty is based on the existing U.S. copyright exemption known as the Chafee Amendment.
Ratification of the treaty requires changes to U.S. law, which are addressed in the proposed bill S. 2559.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Judiciary Committee collaborated on the implementing legislation.
The committee received letters of support from various copyright stakeholders for the treaty and S. 2559.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Marrakesh Treaty?

It is an international treaty designed to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.

How does this treaty affect U.S. law?

The treaty requires specific changes to U.S. copyright law, which are outlined in the implementing bill S. 2559.

Why It Matters

of the Marrakesh Treaty and passage of S. 2559 would update U.S. copyright law to allow for the international sharing of accessible-format books for people who are blind or print-disabled.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

ARMORY HILL ADVOCATES (FORMERLY KNOWN AS RAWLSON POLICY GROUP)

on behalf of SYNGENERX HEALTH

View filing →

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Alignment of International and Domestic Law

The hearing highlights a deliberate effort to align U.S. domestic copyright law (via S. 2559) with international standards set by the Marrakesh Treaty.

Marrakesh Treaty S. 2559

Connected Entities

personRobert Menendez“Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee”Map →

personManisha Singh“Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of Stat”Map →

personAllan Adler“Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Association of American Publishers”Map →

otherMarrakesh Treaty“International treaty to facilitate access to published works for the print disab”Map →

personBob Corker“Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee”Map →

personScott Labarre“Legal Counsel, National Federation of the Blind”Map →

personJonathan Band“Counsel, Library Copyright Alliance”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools