<html><head></head><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div><br><br>Trudy L Pickrel<div>President MD Parents Blind Children</div><div>Owner TLC by the Lake poodles</div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> David Andrews <<a href="mailto:dandrews@visi.com">dandrews@visi.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> October 11, 2012 2:37:46 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:nfbnet-master-list@nfbnet.org">nfbnet-master-list@nfbnet.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[Nfbnet-master-list] National Federation of the Blind Applauds Landmark Court Ruling on Access to Books</b><br><br></div></blockquote><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
<br>
CONTACT:<br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br><br>
<div align="center"><h1><b>National Federation of the Blind Applauds
Landmark Court Ruling<br><br>
</b></h1><b><i>Decision Will Revolutionize Blind People’s Access to
Books<br>
</i></b></div>
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<b>Baltimore, Maryland (October 11, 2012):
</b><a href="http://www.nfb.org">The National Federation of the Blind</a>
(NFB) today applauded a decision issued on October 10, 2012, by the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New York, which permits the
distribution of millions of books to blind and print-disabled
people. The ruling in Authors Guild, Inc., et al., v. HathiTrust,
et al. (Case number: No. 11-cv-6351-HB) held that providing access for
students with print disabilities constitutes a “transformative use” under
the fair use provision of the Copyright Act and the Americans with
Disabilities Act and that Section 121 of the Copyright Act (the “Chafee
Amendment”) permits university libraries to digitize their collections
for distribution and use by the blind. As a result, the University
of Michigan will now be permitted to make its entire 10 million volume
digital collection available to all blind Americans, revolutionizing
access to digital books by the blind and print disabled.<br>
<br>
The ruling is part of the court’s decision to grant the NFB’s and
HathiTrust’s motions for summary judgment in a lawsuit brought by the
Authors Guild against the HathiTrust, a repository of several university
library collections scanned by Google, and participating
universities. The Authors Guild alleged the HathiTrust and
universities violated the Copyright Act by engaging in mass digitization
of their collections. Because these works represent the largest
collection of works accessible to the blind and print disabled, the NFB
intervened in the lawsuit. <br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.nfb.org/marc-maurer-bio">Dr. Marc Maurer</a>,
President of the
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind">National
Federation of the Blind</a>, said: “Access to the printed word has
historically been one of the greatest challenges faced by the
blind. The landmark decision by the United States District Court
for the Southern District of New York will revolutionize access to books
for the blind. For the first time ever, blind students and scholars
will have the opportunity to participate equally in library
research. The blind, just like the sighted, will have a world of
education and information at their fingertips. The National
Federation of the Blind commends the court’s decision, which constitutes
a significant step toward full and equal access to information by the
blind.”<br>
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<b>About the National Federation of the Blind<br>
<br>
</b>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. <br>
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