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<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, March 22, 2011 4:50
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Art Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill
Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cassandra McNabb; Cathy Jackson; Charlene
Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Don Galloway; Donna Wood;
Elsie Dickerson; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Garrick Scott; Gary
Ray; Gary Wunder; Grace Pires; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; Jennelle Bichler;
Jennifer Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joy Harris; Joyce
Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kim Williams; Kimberly Flores; Larry Posont; Lynn
Majewski; Mary Willows; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika
Pyyhkala; Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Rena Smith; Ron
Brown; Gardner, Ron; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Selena Sundling-Crawford; Terry
Sheeler<BR><B>Subject:</B> National Federation of the Blind Comments on
Rejection of Google Books Settlement<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=4>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT
size=5> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Chris
Danielsen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Director of Public
Relations<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(410) 659-9314, extension
2330<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(410) 262-1281
(Cell)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT
size=5> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=4>National Federation of the Blind
Comments <BR>on Rejection of Google Books
Settlement<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Baltimore,
Maryland (March 22, 2011):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Dr. Marc Maurer,
President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The National
Federation of the Blind supports access by the blind to the vast amount of
knowledge contained in the millions of books available throughout the world, and
we believe that the Google Books settlement is one way to achieve that access.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For that reason, we are
disappointed that the court has rejected the settlement. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We will analyze the decision carefully
and then determine our future course.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">On September 10, 2009, the National
Federation of the Blind <A
href="http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=466">testified before the
House Judiciary Committee</A> that the proposed settlement between Google and
authors and publishers regarding the Google Books project should be
approved.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Google Books
settlement would have made millions of titles available to the blind and other
Americans with print disabilities, providing more access to the printed word
than the blind have had in all of human history.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
face=Helvetica>About the National Federation of the Blind<BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>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 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The NFB improves blind people's lives
through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging
independence and self-confidence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the
nation's blind.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In January 2004 the
NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first
research and training center in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> for the blind led by
the blind.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>