In the red corner

An estimated 90 per cent of all written materials published worldwide are not in formats accessible to people with a print disability. This is a barrier to participation in public life, and restricts employment, and educational and recreational opportunities for around 168,000 New Zealanders.

In June 2017, the Government announced New Zealand would join the Marrakesh Treaty, allowing the reproduction, distribution and cross-border exchange of copyright works in accessible formats such as braille, audio and largeprint books. This came into force here in January. Eight educational institutions, two public libraries, and the Blind Foundation are authorised to provide copies of books in accessible formats.

I obviously support increasing opportunities for people with a disability. However, as someone who loves to read, I also sympathise with authors wanting compensation for access to their works. New Zealand authors play a vital role in our society. They recount histories and imagine futures, challenge established ideas and conventions, and mirror uniquely New

Zealand experiences. Fair pay for authors is, therefore, critical to our national identity and economic development.

The Public Lending Right was set up to compensate authors whose works are available in public libraries. I understand the NZ Society of Authors wants it to be expanded to include digital lending and new lending under the Marrakesh Treaty. A review of the Public Lending Right began in March. It is considering the scope of the scheme, including the current exclusion of e-books, audiobooks and school libraries, and the impact of the Marrakesh Treaty.

Feedback for the review was sought in March and April, and the Department of Internal Affairs had planned to report back to the Minister mid-year. However, I understand the Covid-19 pandemic has caused some delays. I am pleased the creative sector has provided robust feedback. For a long time many authors have raised concerns about the level of Public Lending Right funding, as it has not increased since 2008.

If the review proposes significant changes to the Public Lending Right, another round of consultation will take place before any decisions are made.

In the meantime, authors should pass on any evidence of direct impact to their incomes or abuse of treaty provisions to the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment. Fair pay for authors has been a long-standing issue. It’s good to see the Government taking a closer look at it. It shows we value authors and the vital role they play in our society.