[nabs-l] =?iso-8859-1?q?Why_I=92m_Scared_of_the_SOPA_bill?=

Sun Dec 11 21:40:02 UTC 2011

Hi=20Mark,

If=20you'd=20like=20to=20get=20the=20Federation=20involved=20in=20this=20(a=
nd=20I=20agree=20
with=20you,)=20I'd=20contact=20John=20Par=E9,=20who=20is=20the=20director=20=
of=20
strategic=20initiatives=20for=20the=20Federation.=20=20You=20can=20email=20=
him=20at=20
jpare at nfb.org.

Chris

"The=20real=20problem=20of=20blindness=20is=20not=20the=20loss=20of=20eyesi=
ght.=20=20The=20
real=20problem=20is=20the=20misunderstanding=20and=20lack=20of=20education=
=20that=20
exists.=20=20If=20a=20blind=20person=20has=20the=20proper=20training=20and=
=20
opportunity,=20blindness=20can=20be=20reduced=20to=20a=20mere=20physical=20=

nuisance."
--=20Kenneth=20Jernigan=20(President,=20National=20Federation=20of=20the=20=
Blind,=20
1968-1986

=20The=20I=20C.A.N.=20=20Foundation=20helps=20blind=20and=20visually=20impa=
ired=20youth=20
in=20Maryland=20say=20"I=20can,"=20by=20empowering=20them=20through=20provi=
ding=20
assistive=20technology=20and=20scholarships=20to=20camps=20and=20convention=
s=20
which=20help=20them=20be=20equal=20with=20their=20sighted=20peers.=20=20For=
=20more=20
information=20about=20the=20Foundation=20and=20to=20support=20our=20work,=20=
visit=20
us=20online=20at=20www.icanfoundation.info!

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20"Mark=20J.=20=20Cadigan"=20<kramc11 at gmail.com
To:=20"National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list"=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Sun,=2011=20Dec=202011=2016:30:08=20-0500
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]Beneblog:=20Technology=20Meets=20Society:=20Why=20=
I=92m=20
Scared=20of=20the=20SOPA=20bill

Perhaps,=20the=20NFB=20should=20use=20its=20collective=20power=20to=20modif=
y,=20or=20
hopefully
squash=20the=20SOPA=20bill.=20=20I=20agree,=20that=20the=20SOPA=20bill=20co=
uld=20pose=20
problems=20with
the=20legal=20sharing=20of=20accessible=20content,=20as=20well=20as=20ensna=
re=20lots=20
of
unsuspecting=20people.=20=20Most=20people=20don=92t=20go=20around=20intenti=
onally=20
braking
copywriter=20law,=20however,=20sometimes,=20people=20do=20unintentionally.

I=20for=20one=20have=20photocopied=20out=20a=20page=20from=20a=20textbook=20=
for=20a=20
friend,=20or
accidentally=20recorded=20part=20of=20a=20radio=20or=20television=20show=20=
as=20part=20
of=20the
background=20in=20a=20home=20video.=20=20Hypothetically,=20if=20this=20vide=
o=20
happened=20to=20be
hilarious,=20and=20I=20posted=20it=20on=20line,=20would=20I=20get=20prosecu=
ted=20under=20
this=20new
bill?

Maybe,=20someone=20with=20a=20lot=20more=20knowledge=20of=20the=20current=20=
laws,=20and=20
knowledge
of=20the=20SOPA=20bill=20could=20draft=20a=20letter=20to=20send=20to=20the=
=20committee=20
making=20this
bill=20expressing=20our=20concerns=20of=20how=20this=20bill=20could=20
unintentionally=20affect
blind=20people=92s=20acksess=20to=20important=20resources=20like=20Book=20S=
hare,=20
Web=20Braille,
NLS,=20RFBD=20and=20anything=20else=20I=20didn=92t=20think=20of.

-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20"Hai=20Nguyen=20Ly"=20<gymnastdave at sbcglobal.net
To:=20"National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>;=20"Illinois=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20
List"
<iabs-talk at nfbnet.org>;=20"NFB=20of=20Illinois=20Mailing=20List"=20
<il-talk at nfbnet.org
Sent:=20Sunday,=20December=2011,=202011=201:36=20PM
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20Beneblog:=20Technology=20Meets=20Society:=20Why=20I=92=
m=20
Scared=20of=20the
SOPA=20bill

http://benetech.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-im-scared-of-sopa-bill.h
tml

Why=20I=92m=20Scared=20of=20the=20SOPA=20bill

Benetech,=20is=20a=20leading=20nonprofit=20organization=20based=20in=20Sili=
con=20
Valley.=20=20We
write=20software=20for=20people=20with=20disabilities=20as=20well=20as=20hu=
man=20
rights=20and
environmental=20groups.=20=20We=92re=20against=20piracy,=20and=20have=20mad=
e=20
commitments=20to
authors=20and=20publishers=20to=20encourage=20compliance=20with=20copyright=
=20
law.

So,=20we=20shouldn=92t=20have=20anything=20to=20fear=20from=20a=20bill=20en=
titled=20=93Stop=20
Online
Piracy=20Act,=94=20right?=20Unfortunately,=20that=92s=20not=20the=20case.

We=92re=20getting=20very=20worried=20that=20our=20organization=20and=20the=
=20people=20
we=20serve:
people=20with=20print=20disabilities=20(i.e.,=20people=20who=20are=20blind=
=20or=20
severely
dyslexic),=20and=20human=20rights=20groups=20will=20be=20collateral=20damag=
e=20in=20
Hollywood=92s
attempt=20to=20break=20the=20Internet=20in=20their=20latest=20effort=20to=20=
squash=20
=93piracy.=94
And,=20if=20we=92re=20worried,=20a=20lot=20of=20other=20good=20organization=
s=20should=20
start
getting=20worried!=20Let=20me=20give=20two=20specific=20examples=20that=20c=
ame=20up=20
in=20my=20first
conversation=20with=20a=20lawyer=20about=20the=20proposed=20bill:
1.=20=20Stopping=20fund=20raising=20and=20subscription=20revenue=20for=20Bo=
okshare,=20
the=20largest
online=20library=20for=20people=20who=20have=20print=20disabilities.

Bookshare=20is=20an=20online=20library=20for=20people=20who=20can=92t=20rea=
d=20standard=20
print
books.=20=20We=20provide=20accessible=20ebooks=20that=20can=20be=20spoken=20=
aloud,=20
turned=20into
Braille=20or=20large=20print.=20=20We=20serve=20over=20150,000=20students=20=
with=20
disabilities
alone=20with=20free=20online=20services=20funded=20by=20the=20Department=20=
of=20
Education
(however,=20nothing=20contained=20in=20this=20post=20has=20anything=20to=20=
do=20with=20
our
funders).=20=20We=20also=20have=20thousands=20of=20adults=20with=20disabili=
ties=20
that=20pay=20a=20$50
a=20year=20subscription=20to=20be=20able=20to=20download=20all=20the=20book=
s=20and=20
newspapers=20they
can=20read.=20=20Ironically,=20many=20of=20these=20users=20might=20buy=20co=
mmercial=20
ebooks,=20but
the=20anti-piracy=20technology=20built=20into=20many=20ebook=20systems=20ar=
e=20not=20
compatible
with=20the=20technology=20these=20users=20employ=20to=20get=20the=20books=20=
in=20
Braille=20or
synthetic=20speech.

Bookshare=20is=20legal=20in=20the=20United=20States=20because=20our=20copyr=
ight=20law=20
includes
an=20exception=20that=20allows=20nonprofit=20organizations=20like=20Benetec=
h=20to=20
make
accessible=20versions=20of=20books=20for=20people=20with=20print=20disabili=
ties=20
without
requesting=20permission=20or=20paying=20a=20royalty.

We=20frequently=20get=20emails=20or=20letters=20from=20authors,=20agents=20=
or=20
publishers=20who
don=92t=20know=20much=20about=20people=20with=20disabilities=20or=20about=20=
Section=20
121=20of=20the
copyright=20law,=20calling=20us=20pirates=20and=20asking=20us=20to=20cease=
=20and=20
desist=20from
making=20their=20books=20available=20on=20the=20Internet.=20=20Often,=20the=
se=20
communications
come=20in=20the=20form=20of=20what=92s=20called=20a=20DMCA=20or=20take-down=
=20notice.=20=20
Now,=20we=20have=20a
nice=20little=20letter=20thanking=20them,=20explaining=20that=20we=20only=20=
help=20
people=20with
bona=20fide=20disabilities,=20that=20it=92s=20legal,=20that=20we=92ve=20wor=
ked=20with=20
the=20big
publishing=20associations=20and=20with=20authors=20groups,=20and=20wouldn=92=
t=20
they=20like=20to
help=20us=20in=20the=20future=20by=20adding=20more=20of=20their=20books=20v=
oluntarily=20
to=20our
collection.=20=20Most=20of=20the=20time,=20that=20works=20great,=20and=20we=
=20end=20up=20
making=20a=20new
friend=20after=20they=20dig=20a=20little=20and=20find=20out=20that=20we=20a=
re=20closer=20to=20
Florence
Nightingale=20than=20the=20Dread=20Pirate=20Roberts.

Sometimes,=20we=20have=20to=20spend=20time=20talking=20a=20newbie=20lawyer=
=20down=20
from=20high
dudgeon=20and=20explaining=20that=20there=20really=20are=20such=20things=20=
as=20
exceptions=20and
limitations=20in=20copyright,=20and=20do=20they=20really=20want=20to=20have=
=20their=20
client=20be
the=20first=20author=20to=20attack=20the=20rights=20of=20blind=20people=20t=
o=20be=20able=20
to=20get
Braille?=20And=20then=20they=20go=20away.=20=20Because=20that=92s=20a=20law=
suit=20they=20
are=20unlikely
to=20win,=20and=20it=20would=20be=20a=20professional=20error=20to=20waste=20=
their=20
client=92s=20money
attacking=20a=20library=20doing=20legal=20things.

However,=20SOPA=20apparently=20has=20shoot=20first,=20ask=20questions=20lat=
er=20
provisions.=20=20If
any=20single=20publisher=20or=20author=20of=20any=20one=20of=20the=20more=20=
than=20
130,000
accessible=20books=20in=20our=20library=20gets=20antsy,=20they=20can=20send=
=20a=20
notice=20to=20VISA
and=20MasterCard=20and=20say,=20stop=20money=20from=20going=20to=20Benetech=
=20and=20
Bookshare.=20=20No
more=20donations=20to=20our=20charity.=20=20No=20more=20subscriptions=20fro=
m=20
individual=20adults
with=20disabilities.

No=20need=20to=20send=20us=20a=20letter.=20=20Or=20file=20a=20DMCA=20notice=
.=20=20Or=20do=20any=20
real=20research..
Just=20send=20out=20a=20bunch=20of=20notices=20and=20get=20all=20those=20pi=
rates!=20
Except,=20we=92re
not=20pirates.=20=20But,=20now=20the=20burden=20of=20proof=20has=20shifted=
=20to=20us:=20
we=92re=20presumed
guilty,=20and=20we=20have=20to=20spent=20time=20and=20money=20defending=20o=
urselves.=20=20
Sounds=20kind
of=20un-American,=20doesn=92t=20it?

Now,=20apparently,=20we=20can=20file=20a=20counter-notice.=20=20But,=20my=20=
guess=20is=20
that=20the
credit=20card=20guys=20are=20going=20to=20play=20it=20safe=20and=20stay=20a=
way=20from=20
turning
=93pirates=94=20back=20on,=20and=20we=92d=20end=20up=20in=20court=20arguing=
=20to=20be=20able=20to=20
get=20our
ability=20to=20receive=20funds=20for=20our=20socially=20beneficial=20work,=
=20not=20
only=20to=20help
people=20with=20disabilities=20but=20also=20our=20work=20to=20help=20enviro=
nmental=20
and=20human
rights=20groups.

Yet=20another=20example=20of=20bills=20written=20to=20catch=20criminals,=20=
that=20do=20
very=20little
to=20stop=20them,=20but=20end=20up=20screwing=20up=20law-abiding=20organiza=
tions.
2.=20=20Endangering=20Human=20Rights=20Activists.

Benetech=20is=20one=20of=20the=20largest=20developers=20of=20software=20for=
=20human=20
rights
activists=20around=20the=20world.=20=20We=20develop=20free=20and=20open=20s=
ource=20
software=20to=20help
groups=20capture=20the=20stories=20of=20human=20rights=20abuse,=20and=20sto=
re=20and=20
back=20them=20up
securely=20in=20another=20country.=20=20Wonderful=20stuff.=20=20We=20work=20=
all=20over=20
the=20world,
and=20our=20Martus=20software=20has=20been=20translated=20into=20Spanish,=20=
French,=20
Russian,
Arabic,=20Khmer=20and=20other=20languages.

The=20U.S.=20=20Department=20of=20State=20just=20funded=20us=20to=20help=20=
LGBT=20groups=20
in=20Uganda
securely=20capture=20documentation=20of=20abuses=20against=20those=20
communities=20(again,
our=20funders=20are=20not=20responsible=20for=20this=20post).=20=20We=20wor=
k=20in=20North=20
Africa
Latin=20America,=20Asia:=20most=20of=20the=20places=20where=20large=20scale=
=20human=20
rights
abuses=20are=20going=20on.=20=20And,=20in=20many=20of=20these=20places,=20w=
e=92re=20helping=20
the
activists=20avoid=20censorship=20and=20surveillance=20by=20the=20government=
.=20=20
It=92s=20also
crucially=20important=20to=20be=20able=20to=20assure=20the=20confidentialit=
y=20of=20
witnesses
and=20victims=20both=20to=20protect=20their=20privacy=20(i.e.,=20victims=20=
of=20
sexual=20violence)
and=20their=20safety=20(do=20you=20want=20the=20police=20to=20know=20that=20=
you=20have=20
testified=20to
an=20illegal=20killing=20by=20the=20police?).

So,=20another=20example=20of=20potential=20collateral=20damage=20from=20SOP=
A.=20=20
The=20problem=20is
that=20we=20provide=20technology=20that=20allows=20for=20security,=20privac=
y=20and
circumvention.=20=20We=20do=20it=20for=20human=20rights=20groups.=20=20But,=
=20when=20
asked=20if=20we=20know
whether=20or=20not=20there=20are=20=93pirated=94=20copyrighted=20materials,=
=20we=20
can=92t=20say.
Because,=20if=20we=20make=20software=20that=20promises=20to=20keep=20your=20=
life=20or=20
death
sensitive=20information=20secret=20to=20the=20best=20of=20our=20abilities,=
=20we=20
won=92t=20build=20a
back=20door=20in=20for=20Syria,=20or=20China,=20or=20the=20U.S.=20=20govern=
ment=20or=20even=20
(heavens!)
Hollywood.

Apparently,=20one=20of=20the=20provisions=20of=20SOPA=20is=20that=20technol=
ogy=20and=20
servers=20and
websites=20that=20can=20be=20used=20for=20evading=20controls=20on=20piracy=
=20can=20be=20
shut=20down=20by
the=20Attorney=20General.=20=20Unfortunately,=20safeguarding=20human=20righ=
ts=20
information
can=92t=20be=20distinguished=20from=20piracy,=20if=20the=20contents=20are=20=

encrypted.=20=20So,=20our
software,=20and=20the=20TOR=20network=20servers=20we=20and=20others=20opera=
te,=20and=20
other
similar=20technologies,=20can=20get=20shut=20down=20in=20the=20name=20of=20=
protecting=20
Hollywood.
Let's=20Not=20Do=20This=20Stupid=20Thing,=20and=20Avoid=20Breaking=20the=20=
Internet

In=20conclusion,=20I=20can=92t=20imagine=20that=20breaking=20the=20Internet=
,=20making=20
charities
waste=20money=20fighting=20thoughtless=20and=20careless=20allegations,=20an=
d=20
making=20it
easier=20for=20repressive=20governments=20to=20suppress=20human=20rights=20=

groups,=20was=20what
was=20intended=20when=20this=20bill=20was=20drafted.=20=20Our=20concerns=20=
are=20just=20
one=20set=20out
of=20many.=20=20Engineers=20have=20described=20this=20bill=20as=20=93breaki=
ng=20the=20
Internet,=94
because=20complying=20with=20it=20requires=20major=20(and=20not=20good)=20c=
hanges=20
in=20how=20the
Internet=20works=20today.=20=20Most=20tech=20companies=20think=20this=20is=
=20the=20most
counter-productive=20job=20and=20innovation=20killing=20bill=20they've=20se=
en=20
in=20years.
And,=20tons=20of=20human=20rights=20groups=20have=20protested=20against=20t=
he=20U.S.=20=20
starting=20to
act=20more=20like=20China=20than=20the=20home=20of=20the=20free.=20=20The=20=
costs=20and=20
impacts=20far
outweigh=20any=20(unlikely)=20benefit=20Hollywood=20would=20receive.=20=20L=
et=92s=20
not=20do=20this
as=20a=20country.
Background=20information:

Electronic=20Frontier=20Foundation=20has=20great=20information=20on=20SOPA=
=20and=20
related
bills,=20including=20this=20one:=20SOPA:=20Hollywood=20Finally=20Gets=20A=20=
Chance=20
to=20Break
the=20Internet.=20=20If=20you're=20so=20moved,=20here's=20where=20EFF=20poi=
nts=20you=20to=20
taking
action=20by=20contacting=20your=20elected=20representatives:=20Take=20Actio=
n=20|=20
Electronic
Frontier=20Foundation.

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