The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) consists of the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Association of Research Libraries.
Collectively, the ALA, ACRL and ARL represent over 139,000 libraries in the United States employing approximately 350,000 librarians and other personnel.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a non-profit organization with 13,000 members worldwide, dedicated to the protection of online freedom of expression, civil liberties, digital consumer rights, privacy, and innovation, through advocacy for balanced intellectual property law and information policy.
The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) is an independent organization of the chief officers of state and territorial agencies designated as the state library administrative agency and responsible for statewide library development.
LCA, EFF, and COSLA thank the Copyright Office for conducting this request for public comments to better understand and facilitate access to protected works for the blind or persons with other disabilities. We believe that the blind or persons with other disabilities should be afforded the same access to copyrighted materials as sighted persons. Accordingly, LCA, EFF, and COSLA believe that the United States should work for the adoption of a treaty at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that facilitates such access. LCA, EFF, and COSLA also believe that legal solutions must be combined with practical solutions to improve and expand access for the blind and persons with other disabilities.
Read more (each article of the proposed treaty is analyzed) in the attached file.