The Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS) has launched the braille documents for the visually impaired artists.

Presenting the documents at a press briefing in Tlokweng on Friday, COSBOTS board chairman, Solomon Monyame described the launch as a landmark as it provided the visually impaired members with COSBOTS brochures in order to equip them with firsthand information.

He said braille was a series of raised dots that could be read with the fingers by the visually impaired or people whose eyelids were not sufficient for reading printed material.

Monyame said the braille documents were about membership and licensing brochures which provided vital information on the mandate of COSBOTS, its functions and services together with the benefits of being a member including requirements and information on licensing of users.

The board chairman said since COSBOTS became fully operational in November 2011, it undertook employee training and WIPOCOS system installation by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

Furthermore, Monyame said COSBOTS anticipated to pay the first royalties in the nearest possible future adding that the delay was due to the complex processes of such payments. “A major factor regarding distribution of royalties was that the cost of the distribution process should not exceed the value of royalties collected at a particular point in time.”

Monyame asked for support from the media for COSBOTS to continue encouraging the development of creative, artistic and economic endeavors for the benefit of artists and musicians.

The first recipient of the braille documents, Bernard Sekgwa expressed joy and happiness, saying the documents were important to his life and other members.

He said it has been hard for him to rely on other people to read documents for him adding that this marks a new page in their lives as the visually impaired people.

The chief executive officer of COSBOTS, Thato Mokobi said they have registered six visually impaired people and they will be given the braille documents.

He said their plan was to reach out to as many visually impaired people as possible and to have all the documents written in Setswana.

Mokobi noted that they have made a milestone by managing to bring on board two broadcasters who have made licensing agreements with them.

He said this earmarked the process of implementation which will trickle down from broadcasters to businesses and individuals. ENDS