[gui-talk] any progress in NLS DTB limited access issues?

[David Andrews]

This is not the graphical user interface, and not on topic for this list.

Dave

At 05:33 PM 4/29/2010, you wrote:
>Anyone know if there is any movement to provide UAC for such products as
>FS Reader for NLS digital talking books?  The concept that bookshare.org
>can produce volumes of materials for various platform usage, with
>adequate if not draconian IP protections, while the well funded NLS
>chooses to keep things to non-mainstream platforms seems ridiculous.  If
>this doesn't change soon I recommend folks start writing their
>Congressman about finding new budget solutions to this problem.  It is
>all well and good to have a benevolent NLS to provide leisure materials
>for folks, but insisting we can't be trusted to keep our access terms is
>just a poor way to serve the public as a government in my opinion.  I am
>finding that I read far more from bookshare.org of late than NLS anyway,
>so it may just become something irrelevant to me soon.  I just hate to
>see tax dollars spent without a more direct connection between a
>perceived problem and reality.  Same goes for the whole publishing
>industry's perceived problem with copying of materials by people with
>disabilities.  If your book was so good that it gets copied
>electronically, you probably have buyers anyway.  Besides, if the
>accessible version is not for sale, they were not missing any revenues,
>and if someone is copying materials for sale then the publisher was
>missing a market opportunity of their own.
>
>I personally think that NLS should have a audiobooks sales licensing
>side for publishers to use as they see fit-e.g. NLS does the contract to
>get the materials recorded, and if a publisher wants to sell this to the
>general public, it should be allowed.  Gives publishers motivation to
>make things easy to get NLS to record, and maybe there even is some
>revenue sharing, beyond taxes, that could make the project more self
>supportive.
>Anyhow, just wondering if it's time to send Congressmen letters, or if
>progress is being made to improve NLS services for the modern world.