Peru ratifies WIPO’s copyright treaty for the blind

Peru has become the latest country to ratify the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Marrakesh Treaty, which is aimed at helping blind people to access published works.

According to WIPO, Peru deposited its instrument of ratification on Tuesday, February 2.

It is the 14th country to ratify the treaty, which was established in 2013.

The ratification was confirmed by Luis Enrique Chavez Basagoitia, Peru’s permanent representative at the UN.

The treaty aims to address ‘book famine’ by requiring that nations adopt legal provisions that permit the reproduction and distribution of published works in accessible formats, including Braille, by introducing limitations and exceptions to copyright law.

In 2013, blind musician Stevie Wonder publicly backed the treaty.

India was the first country to ratify the treaty in June 2014. Since then it has been ratified by Argentina, Australia, Brazil, El Salvador, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Paraguay, South Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

The treaty comes into force following 20 ratifications, meaning six more are required.