2. Amendment of section 5 of Act…

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Section 5 of the Intellectual Property Act, No. 36 of 2003 (hereinafter referred to as the “principal enactment”) is hereby amended as follows:—

(1)

by the insertion immediately before the definition of the expression “audiovisual work”, of the following definition:–

‘“accessible format” means a copy of a work in an alternative form or manner which gives a beneficiary person access to such work, including to permit such person to have access as feasibly and comfortably as a person without any disability which a beneficiary person has. The accessible format copy shall be used exclusively by beneficiary persons and shall respect the intergrity of the original work, taking into consideration of the changes needed to make the work accessible in the alternative format and of the accessibility needs of the beneficiary person;”.

(2)

by the insertion immediately after the definition of the expression “author” of the following definition:–

“ “beneficiary person” means any person who–

(a)

is blind;

(b)

has a visual impairment or a perceptual or reading disability which cannot be improved to give visual function substantially equivalent to a person who has no such impairment or disability and is unable to read printed works to substantially the same degree as a person without any such impairment or disability; or

(c)

is otherwise unable, through physical disability to hold or manipulate a book or to focus or move eyes to the extent that is acceptable for reading, regardless of any other disability;”.

Read on from s 3