The Green Paper on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy of July contained a chapter on persons with disabilities pointing out the importance of providing accessible content to the visually impaired persons (VIP) community and the remaining obstacles in Europe to achieve this objective. As a follow up of the Green Paper, the Communication on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy of October 2009 identified as a following step the organisation of a stakeholder forum to consider the range of issues facing persons with disabilities and possible policy responses. In November 2009, the European Parliament organised a workshop on orphan works and access for visually impaired people..
Starting in December 2010, the European Commission (Copyright Unit) organised a series of meetings of the dialogue between representatives of visually impaired and the right holder communities.
The MoU was signed on 14 September 2010 in the presence of Commissioner Barnier; the signatories include EBU, EDA (European Dyslexic Association), EWC, IFRRO, STM and FEP. It foresees that accessible copies created under national copyright exceptions can be transferred in the EU, after receiving a license at national level, through the network of TIs. Furthermore it recommends specific licenses allowing the cross-border transfer in the EU of licensed accessible copies, through the network of TIs.
Work ensued to establish a network of TIs, ETIN – The European Trusted Intermediary Network, although the EBU withdrew from the project in early 2011. The first kick-off meeting took place in April 2011 and several Trusted Intermediaries joined the efforts to set up the network, despite the withdrawal of EBU.
In September 2011, a model licence/agreement was agreed upon by rightholders and trusted intermediaries and in April 2012 by-laws for a ETIN European Board were finalised. A face-to-face meeting took place in February 2012 gathering new Trusted Intermediaries wishing to join ETIN. Representatives of TIGAR, an international project of files exchanges between trusted intermediaries, set up at WIPO level, took part in order to coordinate both projects.
Meanwhile, in Geneva, discussions are taking place on an instrument for the VIP.