[Nfbk] [Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Librarian of Congress Says Blind Have Right to Access E-books]

[David Andrews]

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Dave

At 03:19 PM 7/29/2010, you wrote:
>---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
>Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Librarian of Congress Says Blind Have Right
>to Access E-books
>From:    "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>Date:    Tue, July 27, 2010 19:54
>To:      nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>CONTACT:
>
>Chris Danielsen
>
>Director of Public Relations
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>
>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>
>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>Librarian of Congress Says Blind Have Right to Access E-books
>National Federation of the Blind Commends Copyright Ruling
>Baltimore, Maryland (July 27, 2010): The National Federation of the
>Blind, the oldest nationwide organization of blind Americans and the
>leading advocate
>for access to digital information by the blind, commented today on
>the renewal of a ruling from the Librarian of Congress that allows
>the circumvention
>of digital rights management (DRM) technology by blind people seeking
>equal access to e-books.  The ruling states that one of the
>circumstances in which
>circumvention of technology that limits access to copyrighted works
>is not a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is:
>"literary works
>distributed in ebook format when all existing ebook editions of the
>work (including digital text editions made available by authorized
>entities) contain
>access controls that prevent the enabling either of the book's
>read-aloud function or of screen readers that render the text into a
>specialized format."
>
>Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
>said: "The National Federation of the Blind commends the Librarian of
>Congress for recognizing
>the right of blind Americans to obtain equal access to the
>information contained in digital books.  It is the position of the
>National Federation of the
>Blind that blind people have the right to access content for which
>they have paid or which they have otherwise legally obtained, just
>like all other readers.
>We are pleased that the Librarian of Congress sees matters in the
>same way.  The e-book industry, however, has largely failed to
>recognize our rights.
>The Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, and other
>e-book reading devices and applications still remain inaccessible to
>us, and we have yet
>to see accessible e-book readers and content from those who have
>promised them.  At this time, Apple products that can access the
>company's iBooks are
>the only mainstream e-book devices accessible to blind readers.  The
>National Federation of the Blind will continue to use every means at
>our disposal
>to secure the right of blind Americans to access the same books at
>the same time and at the same price as all other consumers.  We will
>stand for nothing
>less."
>
>###
>
>About the National Federation of the Blind
>
>With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind
>(NFB) 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.
>
>

                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
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