Abstract

Persons with vision impairments have always faced many barriers to accessing books and other printed materials protected by copyright and related rights. Nowadays, in the age of information societies, the accessibility gap is further exacerbating social exclusion. Taking into consideration the rights of blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled, European Union has adopted Regulation 2017/1563 and Directive 2017/1564 – aimed at further harmonizing copyright law and fulfilling of EU’s obligations under the Marrakesh Treaty. 11 October 2018 was the deadline for Member States to implement requirements which shall ensure availability of books (including e-books) and other printed materials in an accessible format and improve their circulation in the internal market. This is reflected in the proposed amendment of Polish Law on Copyright and Related Rights which was submitted to Parliament (Sejm) on 23 October 2018.