[stylist] National Federation of the Blind Responds to Authors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2

Fri Feb 13 14:35:12 UTC 2009

Thank you Fred,
I will.
jc

Jim Canaday M.A.
Lawrence, KS

At 06:41 AM 2/13/2009, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I don't know much about Kindle.  However, there is a more accessible Amazon
>web page.  Use Amazon.com/access.  It is much easier.
>
>Warm Regards,
>
>Fred
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of James Canaday M.A. N6YR
>Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 10:57 PM
>To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [stylist] National Federation of the Blind Responds to Authors
>Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
>
>anybody familiar with Kindle?
>
>does one pay to access the book text before it is read?  I assume if
>there is payment, some goes to publisher and author.
>
>anybody know if the reading using kindle  puts the text into a file
>or some portable form?
>
>the release indicates that Kindle is not currently accessible to blind
>users.
>
>I personally dislike ordering from amazon anyway because their
>website is so full of crap, adds, lists, it is hard to find the real
>content.
>jc
>
>Jim Canaday M.A.
>Lawrence, KS
>
>At 09:38 PM 2/12/2009, you wrote:
> >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> >
> >CONTACT:
> >Chris Danielsen
> >Director of Public Relations
> >National Federation of the Blind
> >(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
> >(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
> ><mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
> >
> >National Federation of the Blind Responds to Authors Guild
> >Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
> >
> >Baltimore, Maryland (February 12, 2009): The National Federation of
> >the Blind, the largest organization of blind people in the United
> >States, today responded to a statement put out by the Authors Guild
> >advising its members to consider negotiating contracts prohibiting
> >e-books to be read aloud by the new Amazon Kindle 2, which
> >incorporates text-to-speech technology. The Authors Guild argues
> >that the reading of a book out loud by a machine is a copyright
> >infringement unless the copyright holder has specifically granted
> >permission for the book to be read aloud.
> >
> >Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
> >said: "The National Federation of the Blind supports all
> >technologies that allow blind people to have better access to the
> >printed word, including the ability of devices like the Kindle 2 to
> >read commercial e-books aloud using text-to-speech technology.
> >Although the Authors Guild claims that it supports making books
> >accessible to the blind, its position on the inclusion of
> >text-to-speech technology in the Kindle 2 is harmful to blind
> >people. The Authors Guild says that having a book read aloud by a
> >machine in the privacy of one's home or vehicle is a copyright
> >infringement. But blind people routinely use readers, either human
> >or machine, to access books that are not available in alternative
> >formats like Braille or audio. Up until now, no one has argued that
> >this is illegal, but now the Authors Guild says that it is. This is
> >absolutely wrong. The blind and other readers have the right for
> >books to be presented to us in the format that is most useful to us,
> >and we are not violating copyright law as long as we use readers,
> >either human or machine, for private rather than public listening.
> >The key point is that reading aloud in private is the same whether
> >done by a person or a machine, and reading aloud in private is never
> >an infringement of copyright.
> >
> >"Amazon has taken a step in the right direction by including
> >text-to-speech technology for reading e-books aloud on its new
> >Kindle 2," Dr. Maurer continued. "We note, however, that the device
> >itself cannot be used independently by a blind reader because the
> >controls to download a book and begin reading it aloud are visual
> >and therefore inaccessible to the blind. We urge Amazon to rectify
> >this situation as soon as possible in order to make the Kindle 2 a
> >device that truly can be used both by blind and sighted readers. By
> >doing so, Amazon will make it possible for blind people to purchase
> >a new book and begin reading it immediately, just as sighted people do."
> >
> >
> >
> >###
> >
> >
> >
> >About the National Federation of the Blind
> >
> >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.
> >
> >
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