ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development of UK copyright law with respect to the disability exceptions enshrined in sections 31A to 31F of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA) and demonstrates how the exception permits a broader range of uses than the minimum required by international standards. It focuses on visual disability to assess whether the UK provisions are capable of adapting with technological developments which offer new ways to create accessible copies. The chapter looks at the potential wealth of opportunities offered by 3-D scanning and printing techniques. The 3-D printing process typically involves two phases, digitalisation and printing, which might result in various intermediate copies. The Marrakesh Treaty requires signatories to permit cross-border supply of accessible formats to beneficiaries or authorised entities in all other contracting states. In 2011, a wide-ranging review of UK copyright law recommended a blanket ban to prevent contractual overriding of any of the CDPA’s exceptions and limitations.
