China to promote cross-border exchange of accessible-format publication copies: official

BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China will promote the cross-border exchange of accessible-format publication copies through cooperation with international organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, an official has said.

Accessible-format publication copies, including Braille books, large-print books and audiobooks, are the most effective ways for people with visual impairments or print disabilities to acquire culture and receive education.

But they have high costs in copyright licensing, said Zhao Xiuling, deputy head of the copyright management division under the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, at a press conference.

The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, which entered into force on May 5 in China, mandates that accessible-format copies should be made without seeking permission from rightsholders.

Statistics show that China has approximately 17.3 million people with visual impairments, and its number of residents with print disabilities is even higher. Of the millions of books published worldwide every year, less than 10 percent are available in accessible formats.

The treaty facilitates the cross-border exchange and import of accessible-format publication copies and solves the problem of their scarcity, Zhao said.

After its enforcement in China, the resources of works available to readers with print disabilities in the country will be further enriched, and costs will also be further reduced, Zhao added.