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UNTERHALTER AJ 4.2 Pending Parliament’s remedying of the defect giving rise to the unconstitutionality, in the event the Constitutional Court confirms the declaration of invalidity. 5. In the event Parliament does not remedy the constitutional defect within 24 months of the order of the Constitutional Court, the order in 2 above shall continue to apply. 6. Save in respect of ReCreate, the First Respondent is ordered to pay the costs of this application which costs shall include the costs consequent upon the employment of two Counsel, where applicable.” In this Court [14] The submissions made by Blind SA, the Minister and amici covered a wide range of issues. These included the need to align the Copyright Act with the Marrakesh Treaty, as well as other International Agreements such as the Berne Convention,19 TRIPS Agreement,20 the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities21 (CRPD) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights22 (ICESCR). Submissions were also made regarding the possible importation and export of copyright works for purposes of making accessible format copies available to visually and print disabled persons. Applicant’s submissions The pleaded case [15] Blind SA seeks an order declaring the Copyright Act unconstitutional to the extent that it (a) limits and/or prevents persons with visual and print disabilities from accessing works under copyright that persons without such disabilities are able to access and; (b) does not include provisions designed to ensure that persons with visual and 19 Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, 9 September 1886. The Berne Convention has since been revised. 20 The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, 15 April 1994. 21 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 13 December 2006. 22 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 16 December 1966. 11

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Blind SA v Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and Others 2022

Case Law

Country

South Africa

Country Location

Latitud: -28.58043087631903

Longitud: 24.820993917210945

Country Location (vinculado Case Law): South Africa

Decision Date: 21 sept 2022

Case Status: Cerrado

Case Outcome (Procedural)

Motion Granted

Case Outcome (Disposition)

Judgement in Favour of Plaintiff
Motion Granted

Keywords

Access to Information
Public Interest

Court Name: Constitutional Court of South Africa

Case Number: Case CCT 320/21

Case Summary: Facts

Blind SA, a South African organisation advocating for the rights of blind and visually impaired persons, brought a constitutional challenge against provisions of the Copyright Act 98 of 1978. The organisation argued that the Act unlawfully restricted the ability of blind persons to access published works in accessible formats such as Braille, audio, and large print.

Because the Act required prior authorisation from copyright holders before works could be converted into accessible formats, blind persons faced systematic barriers to accessing education, information, and culture. Blind SA contended that this regime violated several constitutional rights, including the right to equality (s 9), dignity (s 10), education (s 29), freedom of expression (s 16), and access to information (s 32).

The respondent, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, opposed the petition, arguing that the Copyright Act balanced the rights of authors with public interest, and that reforms were already underway through draft legislation.

Issue

The central issue before the Constitutional Court was whether the Copyright Act’s failure to provide an express exception for the reproduction of works in accessible formats constituted an unjustifiable limitation of the constitutional rights of persons with visual disabilities.

Additionally, the Court had to determine whether it had the power to grant “reading-in” relief — namely, to modify the Copyright Act by inserting provisions that immediately allow the making and distribution of accessible format copies without requiring copyright-holder permission.

Rule

The case was decided under the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa (1996), particularly:

Section 9 (Equality): Guarantees equal protection and benefit of the law.

Section 10 (Dignity): Affirms the inherent dignity of every person.

Section 29 (Education): Ensures the right to basic and further education.

Section 16 (Freedom of Expression) and Section 32 (Access to Information): Protect access to knowledge and information.

The Court also relied on international norms, including the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, which South Africa had signed but not ratified.

Analysis

The Constitutional Court emphasised that blind and visually impaired persons had suffered decades of systemic exclusion from access to knowledge due to copyright barriers. By conditioning access on obtaining copyright-holder consent, the Act perpetuated discrimination, undermined dignity, and entrenched inequality.

The Court found that the absence of an accessible format exception in the Copyright Act was unconstitutional, as it unjustifiably limited the rights of persons with disabilities. The Minister’s argument that legislative reform was pending did not absolve the Court of its constitutional duty to grant immediate relief.

On the remedy, the Court held that reading-in was appropriate to cure the constitutional defect. The Court thus inserted provisions into the Copyright Act allowing persons with visual disabilities, or organisations acting on their behalf, to make and distribute accessible format copies of works without prior authorisation, provided this was done on a non-profit basis and solely for the benefit of persons with disabilities.

Conclusion

The Court concluded that the Copyright Act violated the constitutional rights of blind and visually impaired persons by failing to provide for accessible format exceptions. The impugned provisions were declared unconstitutional, and the Court read in new sections to immediately allow for the making, reproduction, and distribution of accessible format copies.

Case Significance: Copyright act of 1979 s 6 and s 7 declared unconstitutional.

Available in

English

Related Law

Source Name and URL: saflii

Collection

CIPIT

Date Updated: 18 ago 2025

Documentos primarios

BLIND SA 1.pdf
English
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CYRILLA: Global Digital Rights Law

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Blind SA v Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and Others 2022

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