Background

The conception and development of the TIGAR project is the result of close collaboration between the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and organizations representing VIPs, authors and publishers, namely the World Blind Union (WBU), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium, the International Publishers Association (IPA) and the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO).

In 2008, the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) acknowledged the special needs of VIPs and stressed the importance of addressing without delay the possible ways and means of facilitating and enhancing access to copyright protected works, taking into account an analysis of limitations and exceptions, including the establishment of a Stakeholders’ Platform at WIPO.

Since January 2009, the Stakeholders’ Platform of right holders and representatives from the visually impaired community has played a key role in exploring how best to increase cross-border access for VIPs to copyrighted works in accessible formats in a reasonable time frame. One of the major achievements of this WIPO-led process is the TIGAR pilot project, launched in November 2010 to facilitate cross-border transfer of copyrighted works in accessible formats in a timely manner.

The TIGAR project brings together two separate projects that had overlapping objectives. These were the GAL (Global Accessible Library) Project developed by IFLA, and the Trusted Intermediary Guidelines Project developed by WIPO.