Public Process

In 2009, the Copyright Office, working with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, held an extensive public process to gather information about national and international issues related to providing access to copyrighted works for blind and visually impaired persons. That process included stakeholder meetings, two public comment proceedings, and a public meeting at the Copyright Office. The written record generated during this comprehensive process can be found through the links below.

Inquiry on the Treaty Proposal introduced by the delegations of Brazil, Ecuador, and Paraguay, based on text prepared by the World Blind Union (WBU):

• Federal Register Notice (October 13, 2009)
• Comments (November 13, 2009)
• Reply Comments (December 5, 2009)

Public meeting on copyright exceptions for the blind and other persons with disabilities:

• Public Meeting Agenda and Particpants (May 18, 2009)
• Written Transcript (May 18, 2009)
• Audio Transcripts (May 18, 2009)

Inquiry on the experiences of interested parties residing or doing business in the United States with respect to the provision of access to copyrighted works for the blind and other persons with disabilities:

• Federal Register Notice (March 26, 2009)
• Supplemental Notice (April 17, 2009)
• Federal Register Notice (April 27, 2009)
• Comments (April 28, 2009)
• Reply Comments (May 12, 2009)