Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

[F1 31A Disabled persons: copies of works for personal use U.K.

(1) This section applies if—

(a) a disabled person has lawful [F2 access to] a copy of the whole or part of a work, and

(b) the person’s disability prevents the person from enjoying the work to [F3 substantially] the same degree as a person who does not have that disability.

(2) The making of an accessible copy of the copy of the work referred to in subsection (1)(a) does not infringe copyright if—

(a) the copy is made by the disabled person or by a person acting on behalf of the disabled person, [F4 and]

(b) the copy is made for the disabled person’s personal use F5 ...

F6 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F7 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) Copyright is infringed by the transfer of an accessible copy of a work made under this section to any person other than—

(a) a person by or for whom an accessible copy of the work may be made under this section, or

(b) a person who intends to transfer the copy to a person falling within paragraph (a),

except where the transfer is authorised by the copyright owner.

(5) An accessible copy of a work made under this section is to be treated for all purposes as an infringing copy if it is held by a person at a time when the person does not fall within subsection (4)(a) or (b).

(6) If an accessible copy made under 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, it is to be treated as an infringing copy for all subsequent purposes.

(7) In this section “dealt with” means sold or let for hire or offered or exposed for sale or hire.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 31A substituted (1.6.2014) by The Copyright and Rights in Performances (Disability) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1384), regs. 1(1), 2(3)

F2 Words in s. 31A(1)(a) substituted (11.10.2018) by The Copyright and Related Rights (Marrakesh Treaty etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/995), regs. 1(2), 4(2)(a)

F3 Word in s. 31A(1)(b) inserted (11.10.2018) by The Copyright and Related Rights (Marrakesh Treaty etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/995), regs. 1(2), 4(2)(b)

F4 Word in s. 31A(2)(a) inserted (11.10.2018) by The Copyright and Related Rights (Marrakesh Treaty etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/995), regs. 1(2), 4(3)(a)

F5 Word in s. 31A(2)(b) omitted (11.10.2018) by virtue of The Copyright and Related Rights (Marrakesh Treaty etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/995), regs. 1(2), 4(3)(b)

F6 S. 31A(2)(c) omitted (11.10.2018) by virtue of The Copyright and Related Rights (Marrakesh Treaty etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/995), regs. 1(2), 4(3)(c)

F7 S. 31A(3) omitted (11.10.2018) by virtue of The Copyright and Related Rights (Marrakesh Treaty etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/995), regs. 1(2), 4(4)