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Confederation of Transcribed Information Services
To promote the provision of information in alternative formats to print
Along with RNIB and others in the accessible information business, COTIS is delighted that the Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002 has come into force on 31st October 2003. This removes one of the barriers faced by those striving to achieve equitable access to information for people with sight loss.
We now look forward to working closely with Government, authors and publishers to remove other barriers. (See Right to Read Campaign and sign up to the Right to Read Charter)
These notes have been prepared in conjunction with RNIB to help people understand the new Act, the freedoms it brings and the responsibilities which we all have under it. Information is also available on the websites of the Government Patent Office and the Copyright Licensing Agency
Please note that these notes do not purport to be an official interpretation of the law.
Copyright has two strands: economic and moral. The creator of material (written, musical, visual) is entitled to control who does what with their creation, so that they can obtain a fair return for their labour. They are also entitled to ensure that the creation is not distorted or passed off as the work of another.
It does not have to be registered. It exists automatically.
The author (creator) may assign copyright to another party, such as a publisher.
Several different parties may have copyright in a given product, e.g. one for the text, one for the illustrations, one for the typographical layout.
Generally speaking, under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 rights holders have to give their permission before their work can be published, copied, translated, performed, or otherwise "exploited".
This has until 31st October, 2003, applied equally to the creation of "accessible" copies required by a person with a visual impairment as much as to anything else.
The law did contain some exceptions for areas of activity such as education and public libraries, but nothing for people with a disability.
To make even one accessible copy without prior permission was illegal.
The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002, which came into force on 31st October, 2003, amends the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. Its purpose was to remove the key difficulty experienced by those of us seeking to make information accessible - the need to seek prior permission and the resulting delay - whilst preserving the legitimate rights of authors and others. Thus the Act introduces exceptions to copyright law which, in general terms, remove the need for anyone to obtain permission from the rights holder to produce an "accessible copy".
It does not, however, create a total free for all!
One strength of the new law is its functional definition of visual impairment.
"A visually impaired person" is defined broadly, as a person
(a) who is blind;
(b) who has an impairment of visual function which cannot be improved, by the
use of corrective lenses, to a level that would normally be acceptable for
reading without a special level or kind of light;
(c) who is unable, through physical disability, to hold or manipulate a book;
or
(d) who is unable, through physical disability, to focus or move his eyes to
the extent that would normally be acceptable for reading.
Thus it goes beyond "blind and partially sighted" people, as commonly understood, but does not encompass people with perceptual or cognitive disabilities, such as dyslexia. Nor those with hearing impairments who may need translation to British Sign Language.
NB: This definition, differs from that used by Articles for the Blind and many organisation's eligibility criteria, but does not in any way affect any other definition.
Another strength of the Act is that it focuses on accessibility rather than specific formats.
"An accessible copy" is defined as:
"a version which provides for a visually impaired person improved access to the work."
Further: "An accessible copy may include facilities for navigating around the version of the copyright work…"
Thus the term can cover hard and soft copies - ie, braille, audio, etext, large print etc.
"Any literary, dramatic, artistic or musical work" not accessible to a visually impaired person in its original form.
"Musical" refers to sheet music, not to performed or recorded music.
The term "literary" does not imply any literary merit. It simply means textual. Databases are excluded.
There are two parts to the new Act:
One-for-One
If you are visually impaired, you can make, or ask anyone to make for you, a
single accessible copy of anything of which you have "lawful
possession" or "lawful use".
This can cover anything that you have bought, been given or lent, or that is held in a library that you are eligible to use.
It covers material published commercially but also other material made public, such as dissertations lodged in a library.
Once you have got your accessible copy, you can pass it to others who qualify as "visually impaired", to the same extent that you would be able to do with the print copy, as long as you pass the print copy with it.
Equally, you can pass original and accessible version back to a librarian or teacher, who could later issue them to another eligible person.
The governing principle is that the original print copy remains with any accessible versions, so that only one person can "read" the work at any one time, as with print.
Obligations and Limitations with "one-for-one" copying.
The right does not apply if an equivalent accessible copy is already available commercially.
The accessible copy must carry "sufficient acknowledgement" of its source, such as title, author, and edition. It must carry wording to indicate that it has been created under the terms of Section 31A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as amended by the Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002.
You may also wish to refer to the Joint Industry Guidelines, adopted on a voluntary basis by the major rights holder organisations in 2001. (See http://www.pls.org.uk/) These are in certain respects slightly more "generous" than the Act in relation to single copies, and does not mention keeping a print copy with the accessible copy.
Multiple Copies
Multiple (2 or more) accessible copies can be made by any not-for-profit body
and any educational establishment. The Act refers to these as "approved
bodies", but no approval process is required.
Generally, files for producing accessible copies, known as intermediate copies, can be transferred between one approved body and another. However, an Educational establishment has, under the Act, to ensure that copies will only be used for its own educational purposes. Licensing schemes (see below) overcome this limitation.
The right covers any "commercially published" item of which the approved body has "lawful possession". Thus they may have bought or borrowed the original. [Note that under this multiple copy exception, the original has to be published commercially, whereas for the personal use exception, the original has only to be "a work" or "published."]
Obligations and Limitations relating to multiple copies
N.B. This section should be read in conjunction with that on licensing schemes below.
As with personal copies, the right does not apply if an equivalent accessible copy is already available commercially; and the accessible copy must carry "sufficient acknowledgement" of its source,, such as title, author, and edition.
It must carry wording to indicate that it has been created under the terms of Section 31B of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, as amended by the Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002. The rights holder must still be notified retrospectively that the accessible copies have been produced and distributed.
Records must be kept of titles and formats produced, and of the approved body's customers. These records must be available for inspection by the copyright owner on request.
The Act makes provision for payments to rightsholders by allowing for licensing schemes. Such schemes may enhance the Act's provisions in respect of the production of multiple copies, but cannot detract.
If a licensing scheme exists covering the type of material or the formats involved, a licence must be taken out and its terms must be complied with.
When the Act comes into force, it is anticipated that there will be two licensing schemes in force, one under the auspices of the Copyright Licensing Agency and one under those of the Music Publishers Association.
Any organisation wishing to embark on the production of multiple accessible copies will be obliged to take out a licence under the relevant scheme (or possibly both).
Generally speaking, these schemes extend or simplify the exceptions conferred by the Act. For example, instead of notifying each individual rights holder, there is only a requirement to notify REVEAL in the case of the CLA licence or MPA in the case of theirs. Organisations such as Schools, colleges and libraries who already hold CLA licenses and who only distribute copies to their own students will be able to have an extension to their existing license.
Schemes, once notified to the Secretary of State, are in force until or unless deemed in the courts to be "unreasonable".
If you are a well-known producer or already a CLA licence holder, CLA is likely to get in touch with you shortly, but we recommend that if you produce multiple accessible copies of commercially published material, you contact their Customer Services:
Copyright Licensing Agency,
90 Tottenham Court Road,
LONDON
W1P LP.
Tel: 020 7436 5931
Fax: 020 7436 3986
E-mail: cla@cla.co.uk
If you produce multiple accessible copies of sheet music you should contact
the Music Publishers Association:
Tel: 020 7839 7779
Fax: 020 7839 7776
Email:info@mpaonline.org.uk
Address: 3rd Floor Strandgate 18/20 York Buildings London WC2N 6JU
31st October, 2003.
However, it is acknowledged that not all licences will have been signed and sealed by that date.
Although the Act frees us from the yoke of permission, it does not oblige publishers or authors to assist us positively. Nor does it itself address the problem of barriers thrown up by digital forms of copy protection.
Read the Act itself:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020033_en_1
Look on the RNIB web site.
At http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_cvipsact2002.hcsp
Within RNIB, please contact: David Mann or John Crampton
Consult the web sites of the Copyright Licensing Agency and the Music Publishers Association :
and
COTIS, Project Office, 67 High Street, Tarporley, Cheshire, CW6 0DP, United Kingdom.
Telephone: +44 (0)1829 733351
Email: administrator@cotis.org.uk
COTIS President: Sir John A. Wall - Charity Number 299024
COTIS Web Site last updated 24th June 2005