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Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies
Part2:Country studies
The Netherlands
Copyright
Netherlands
The government introduced a new copyright law which has been in force since September 2004. It is based on the European Copyright Directive.
In this new law an exception has been made for people with disabilities. It states that the (re)production and publication of materials exclusively for disabled people is not a violation of copyright law. Conditions are that this (re)production and publication:
- relate to the disability
- have no commercial purpose
Article 15c
1. The lending as referred to in article 12, paragraph 1, sub 3., of the whole or part of a specimen of the work or a reproduction thereof brought into circulation by or with the consent of the rightholder shall not be deemed an infringement of copyright, provided the person doing or arranging the lending pays an equitable remuneration.
3. Libraries funded by the Libraries for the Blind and Visually Impaired Fund are exempt from payment of a remuneration as referred to in paragraph 1 in respect of items lent to blind and visually impaired persons registered with the libraries in question.
Article 15i
1. Reproduction and publication of a literary, scientific or artistic work exclusively intended for handicapped individuals, provided it is directly related to the handicap, is not of a commercial nature and is necessary because of the handicap, shall not be regarded as an infringement of copyright.
2. A fair payment will be due to the author or his right-holders for the reproduction or publication specified in paragraph 1.
[ Unofficial Translation by the Dutch Ministry of Justice ]