[Electronics-talk] [nfb-talk] National Federation oftheBlindResponds to Authors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2

Sun Feb 15 15:56:52 UTC 2009

Now that I can agree with.  I can have my groceries, snacks for my store and 
many many other items.  Oh yeah, and then I can have a new toy too?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2009 5:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] [nfb-talk] National Federation 
oftheBlindResponds to Authors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2

> Hopefully that issue will be resoslved favorably in the future so there 
> will be equal access for such products.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Charlie Richardson" <charlieofalbany at hotmail.com>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 3:18 PM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] [nfb-talk] National Federation of 
> theBlindResponds to Authors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
>
>
>> Hey, watch that suing Amazon.com out of existence.  I buy hundreds of 
>> items from them per year and none are books.  The I'm no lawyer, but I 
>> don't think the ADA applies to all electronic devices such as the Kindle, 
>> because if it did then everything in existence would have talking 
>> features.
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Gerald Levy" <bwaylimited at verizon.net>
>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 10:48 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] [nfb-talk] National Federation of the 
>> BlindResponds to Authors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
>>
>>
>>>
>>> I'm with you 100% on this one, Ray.  Blind folks must have the same 
>>> access to books and other printed documents as their sighted peers. 
>>> It's the law. Apparently, thede self-righteous nit-wits have never heard 
>>> of the Americans With Disabilities Act.  I hope the NFB sues them out of 
>>> existence.
>>>
>>> Gerald
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Ray Foret jr" <rforetjr at comcast.net>
>>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 9:55 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] [nfb-talk] National Federation of the 
>>> BlindResponds to Authors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
>>>
>>>
>>>>I can't help but wonder.  Has the Author's guild had their heads buried 
>>>>in
>>>> the sand since 1934 or earlier?  Could they honestly be so stupid as to 
>>>> not
>>>> have ever been aware of public law 89-522?  Were they un-aware that, 
>>>> for
>>>> years, we, the blind, have been using talking books beginning in 1934 
>>>> with
>>>> vinyl phonograph records and with cassettes beginning at least in 1967 
>>>> or
>>>> so?  Wince comes this crazy outlandish statement that reading books 
>>>> allowed
>>>> is a violation of copy right?  Are they really and consciously against 
>>>> the
>>>> blind; or, perhaps just un-aware?  Well, what ever the case may happen 
>>>> to
>>>> be, perhaps they will awaken to their senses now that we have responded 
>>>> in
>>>> this fashion.  If not, then what?  Do we sue the entire author's guild; 
>>>> or,
>>>> just target those individuals directly responsible for making that
>>>> statement?  Something just strikes me all wrong about this sudden
>>>> declaration upon the part of the author's guild; I mean really, that 
>>>> they
>>>> should now just come right strait out and say that reading books 
>>>> allowed is
>>>> a violation of copy right.  Smacks of prudential arrogance, in my 
>>>> humble
>>>> opinion!!!  I also can't help but wonder.  How would they feel if one 
>>>> of
>>>> their members went blind and did not want to or could not (for what 
>>>> ever
>>>> reason) learn Braille?  Ah, then what?  Mind you, I don't wish that on 
>>>> any
>>>> of their members; still and all, part of me can't help but ask the 
>>>> question.
>>>> What next if they resist?  Well, no doubt we'll be taking further 
>>>> action I
>>>> dare speculate.  I guess it gets harder "at the top of the stairs"; so 
>>>> to
>>>> speak.  Most of me would, as I say, prefer to believe that this is a 
>>>> case of
>>>> mere ignorance on their parts; but, somehow, I just cannot bring myself 
>>>> to
>>>> that conclusion.  in the end, I'm coming down on the side that it's not
>>>> accidental or ignorance; rather, it's a deliberate attack upon all the
>>>> blind; and, for that matter, the sited illiterate of this country.  I'd
>>>> rather peace, but, if it's war they want, damn it, let's go to war!!!!!
>>>>
>>>> Sincerely,
>>>> The Constantly BAREFOOTED Ray
>>>>
>>>> "Old friend, what are you looking for?  After those many years abroad 
>>>> you
>>>> come With images you tended Under foreign skies Far away from your own 
>>>> land"
>>>> George Seferis
>>>>
>>>> Phone or Fax::
>>>> +1 (985) 360-3375
>>>> e-mail:
>>>> rforetjratcomcastdotnet
>>>> Skype Name:
>>>> barefootedray
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)"
>>>> <JFreeh at nfb.org>
>>>> To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 9:38 PM
>>>> Subject: [nfb-talk] National Federation of the Blind Responds to 
>>>> Authors
>>>> Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>>>
>>>> CONTACT:
>>>> Chris Danielsen
>>>> Director of Public Relations
>>>> National Federation of the Blind
>>>> (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>>>> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>>>> <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>>>>
>>>> National Federation of the Blind Responds to Authors Guild
>>>> Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
>>>>
>>>> Baltimore, Maryland (February 12, 2009): The National Federation of
>>>> the Blind, the largest organization of blind people in the United
>>>> States, today responded to a statement put out by the Authors Guild
>>>> advising its members to consider negotiating contracts prohibiting
>>>> e-books to be read aloud by the new Amazon Kindle 2, which
>>>> incorporates text-to-speech technology. The Authors Guild argues that
>>>> the reading of a book out loud by a machine is a copyright
>>>> infringement unless the copyright holder has specifically granted
>>>> permission for the book to be read aloud.
>>>>
>>>> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
>>>> said: "The National Federation of the Blind supports all technologies
>>>> that allow blind people to have better access to the printed word,
>>>> including the ability of devices like the Kindle 2 to read commercial
>>>> e-books aloud using text-to-speech technology. Although the Authors
>>>> Guild claims that it supports making books accessible to the blind,
>>>> its position on the inclusion of text-to-speech technology in the
>>>> Kindle 2 is harmful to blind people. The Authors Guild says that
>>>> having a book read aloud by a machine in the privacy of one's home or
>>>> vehicle is a copyright infringement. But blind people routinely use
>>>> readers, either human or machine, to access books that are not
>>>> available in alternative formats like Braille or audio. Up until now,
>>>> no one has argued that this is illegal, but now the Authors Guild
>>>> says that it is. This is absolutely wrong. The blind and other
>>>> readers have the right for books to be presented to us in the format
>>>> that is most useful to us, and we are not violating copyright law as
>>>> long as we use readers, either human or machine, for private rather
>>>> than public listening. The key point is that reading aloud in private
>>>> is the same whether done by a person or a machine, and reading aloud
>>>> in private is never an infringement of copyright.
>>>>
>>>> "Amazon has taken a step in the right direction by including
>>>> text-to-speech technology for reading e-books aloud on its new Kindle
>>>> 2," Dr. Maurer continued. "We note, however, that the device itself
>>>> cannot be used independently by a blind reader because the controls
>>>> to download a book and begin reading it aloud are visual and
>>>> therefore inaccessible to the blind. We urge Amazon to rectify this
>>>> situation as soon as possible in order to make the Kindle 2 a device
>>>> that truly can be used both by blind and sighted readers. By doing
>>>> so, Amazon will make it possible for blind people to purchase a new
>>>> book and begin reading it immediately, just as sighted people do."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ###
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> About the National Federation of the Blind
>>>>
>>>> With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind
>>>> is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind
>>>> people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives
>>>> through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
>>>> encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force
>>>> in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In
>>>> January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind
>>>> Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the
>>>> United States for the blind led by the blind.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nfb-talk mailing list
>>>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>>>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>> Electronics-talk:
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/bwaylimited%40verizon.net
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>> Electronics-talk:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/charlieofalbany%40hotmail.com
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Electronics-talk mailing list
>> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> Electronics-talk:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Electronics-talk mailing list
> Electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Electronics-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/electronics-talk_nfbnet.org/charlieofalbany%40hotmail.com
> 