In a nutshell, under UK Copyright Law, if the qualifying Copyrighted Material was first published in the UK or 'simultaneously' published in UK, then an 'accessible copy' can be made for a visually impaired person regardless of whether the visually impaired person is a UK citizen or not as long as the receiving person has a copy of the original material or (according to the RNIB interpretation) has access to the material through a local library.

Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002

2002 CHAPTER 33v

Accessible copies of copyright work for visually impaired persons

An Act to permit, without infringement of copyright, the transfer of copyright works to formats accessible to visually impaired persons.

[7th November 2002]

In the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48), after section 31 insert—

“Visual impairment

31A Making a single accessible copy for personal use

(1) If a visually impaired person has lawful possession or lawful use of a copy (“the master copy”) of the whole or part of—

(a) a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work; or

(b) a published edition,

which is not accessible to him because of the impairment, it is not an infringement of copyright in the work, or in the typographical arrangement of the published edition, for an accessible copy of the master copy to be made for his personal use.

(2)

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to the making of an accessible copy for a particular visually impaired person if, or to the extent that, copies of the copyright work are commercially available, by or with the authority of the copyright owner, in a form that is accessible to that person.

(4) An accessible copy made under this section must be accompanied by—

(a) a statement that it is made under this section; and

(b) a sufficient acknowledgement.

(5) If a person makes an accessible copy on behalf of a visually impaired person under this section and charges for it, the sum charged must not exceed the cost of making and supplying the copy.

(6) If a person holds an accessible copy made under subsection (1) when he is not entitled to have it made under that subsection, the copy is to be treated as an infringing copy, unless he is a person falling within subsection (7)(b).

(7) A person who holds an accessible copy made under subsection (1) may transfer it to—

(a) a visually impaired person entitled to have the accessible copy made under subsection (1); or

(b) a person who has lawful possession of the master copy and intends to transfer the accessible copy to a person falling within paragraph (a).

(

8) The transfer by a person (“V”) of an accessible copy made under subsection (1) to another person (“T”) is an infringement of copyright by V unless V has reasonable grounds for believing that T is a person falling within subsection (7)(a) or (b).

(9) If an accessible copy which would be an infringing copy but for this section is subsequently dealt with—

(a) it is to be treated as an infringing copy for the purposes of that dealing; and

(b) if that dealing infringes copyright, is to be treated as an infringing copy for all subsequent purposes.

(10) In subsection (9), “dealt with” means sold or let for hire or offered or exposed for sale or hire or included in a broadcast or cable programme service.”

UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

159 Application of this Part to countries to which it does not extend

(1) Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision for applying in relation to a country to which this Part does not extend any of the provisions of this Part specified in the Order, so as to secure that those provisions—

(a) apply in relation to persons who are citizens or subjects of that country or are domiciled or resident there, as they apply to persons who are British citizens or are domiciled or resident in the United Kingdom, or

(b) apply in relation to bodies incorporated under the law of that country as they apply in relation to bodies incorporated under the law of a part of the United Kingdom, or

(c) apply in relation to works first published in that country as they apply in relation to works first published in the United Kingdom, or

(d) apply in relation to broadcasts made from or cable programmes sent from that country as they apply in relation to broadcasts made from or cable programmes sent from the United Kingdom.

(2) An Order may make provision for all or any of the matters mentioned in subsection (1) and may—

(a) apply any provisions of this Part subject to such exceptions and modifications as are specified in the Order; and

(b) direct that any provisions of this Part apply either generally or in relation to such classes of works, or other classes of case, as are specified in the Order.

(3) Except in the case of a Convention country or another member State of the European Economic Community, Her Majesty shall not make an Order in Council under this section in relation to a country unless satisfied that provision has been or will be made under the law of that country, in respect of the class of works to which the Order relates, giving adequate protection to the owners of copyright under this Part.

(4) In subsection (3) “Convention country” means a country which is a party to a Convention relating to copyright to which the United Kingdom is also a party.

(5) A statutory instrument containing an Order in Council under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.