Zimbabwe ratified the Marrakesh Treaty on 12 September 2019 and it entered into force on 12 December 2019. The next step is to implement the treaty into domestic law. To assist policy-makers and libraries in Zimbabwe, EIFL drafted recommendations for copyright law amendments necessary to implement the Marrakesh Treaty.

Two amendments to the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act (Chapter 26:05, as amended up to Act No. 32 of 2004) are needed. First, a new exception permitting use by persons with disabilities should be added to Part III ‘Permitted acts in relation to copyright works’. Second, to support the new exception, two new definitions should be included in Part I ‘Preliminary’.

Read about EIFL’s work advocating for the Marrakesh Treaty.