Copyright
Does your national copyright legislation contain exceptions and other special provisions for people with visual impairment?
Do these exceptions allow for making copy of a book without the publisher's permission?
Do these exceptions allow for scanning books (in particular is an individual with visual impairment allowed to scan a book for him/herself, or does a special organization have to do it?)
Do these exceptions allow for sharing books produced on accessible formats? (in particular is an individual with visual impairment allowed to share with friends books he/she scanned?)
Are there special copyright provisions regarding accessible text books and other educational material?
1. Does your national copyright legislation contain exceptions and other special provisions for people with visual impairment?
Article 17 -Reproduction for disabled persons- of Finnish Copyright Law No. 404 of 8 July 1961, as last amended by Law No. 748 of 9 October 1998, provides the following:
"Copies of a published literary or musical work may be made with the purpose of rendering the text readable by visually impaired persons.
Institutions, as defined by decree, shall have the right, on the conditions defined in the decree, to make copies of a published literary work by sound recording for the purpose of being lent to visually impaired persons and to persons who, because of some other physical disability or illness, are unable to use books in the conventional manner."
Article 26 e, in Chapter 2 -Compensation for the making of copies of a work for private use-, provides the following:
"Whoever uses or exports a device shall have the right to receive from the organization repayment corresponding to the levy paid for devices:
[…]
(3) which are used for the making of audio or video recordings intended for those with impaired vision or hearing; and
[…]
Unless such repayment is requested verifiably within three months from the end of the year during which the right to the repayment came into being, this right shall expire."
2. Do these exceptions allow for making copy of a book without the publisher's permission?
Yes.
General requirement to name author on copies made and also source; name of the author and performer specifically required for talking books.
source :
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/html.jsp?file=/redocs/mdocs/copyright/en/sccr_15/sccr_15_7.html#P3012_463977
3. Do these exceptions allow for scanning books (in particular is an individual with visual impairment allowed to scan a book for him/herself, or does a special organization have to do it?)
No restriction other than for making copies by sound recording which is limited to institutions defined by decree
source :
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/html.jsp?file=/redocs/mdocs/copyright/en/sccr_15/sccr_15_7.html#P3012_463977
4. Do these exceptions allow for sharing books produced on accessible formats? (in particular is an individual with visual impairment allowed to share with friends books he/she scanned?)
Text readable by visually impaired persons.
source :
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/html.jsp?file=/redocs/mdocs/copyright/en/sccr_15/sccr_15_7.html#P3012_463977
5. Are there special copyright provisions regarding accessible text books and other educational material?
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