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

[Tim Jones]

fyi

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 7:54 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Librarian of Congress Says Blind Have Right
to Access E-books
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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