-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Friend [mailto:CFriend@sightsavers.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 6:21 AM
To: GPDD@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: FW: Table comparing proposals

Dear GPDD Members,

This week the global VI community are once again in Geneva promoting the progress of the WBU drafted Treaty on copyright for the visually Impaired and other Print Disabled which is now formerly tabled at WIPO's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights  by the Governments of Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico and Paraguay as a Government proposal.

In the past four weeks three other solution proposals have been tabled at the SCCR by USA, EU and the Africa Group of Delegations. The US Consensus Recommendation and the EU Recommendation are both soft law solutions and the African proposal is a binding Treaty like the BEPM treaty.

All are being discussed today Wednesday, and some 15 VI NGOs  from all continents  and representing all the major language groups are in attendance as Ad Hoc Accredited Observers with the right to speak.
Maryanne Diamond, President of WBU, is leading the campaign here in Geneva this week.

Attached is an analysis, created overnight  by WBU and its campaign partner Knowledge Ecology International, to highlight the similarities and the differences between the four proposals.

The progress that is made this week will be contained in the meetings Conclusions expected to be released on Thursday evening and I will post these on the list  then.

Your support through lobbying your Government's Copyright Office would be much appreciated as we seek to reverse the Book Famine caused in part by the restrictive National jurisdiction of copyright which forbids cross-border exchanges of accessible books produced by VI Organisations and the organisations which serve them.

Regards,

Chris.

Christopher Friend

WBU Strategic Objective  Leader - Accessibility Chair WBU Global Right to Read Campaign

Programme Development Advisor
Sightsavers

T: +44 1444 446663;  M: +44 7919 552 170 This e-mail may contain confidential information and/or copyright material.
It is intended for the use of the addressee only. Any unauthorised use may be unlawful. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose the information in any way and notify me immediately.
The contents of this message may contain personal views which are not the views of Sightsavers, unless specifically stated.

Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind. Incorporated under Royal Charter.
Registered charity number: 207544 (England and Wales).
Charity Registered in Scotland number: SC038110

Registered office: Grosvenor Hall, Bolnore Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4BX, England. Contact number: +44(0)1444 446600