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

Tue Feb 17 04:39:28 UTC 2009

thanks Dave,
sounds like the authors guild has no way to legally claim copy right 
infringement.
jc

Jim Canaday M.A.
Lawrence, KS

At 01:23 PM 2/16/2009, you wrote:
>The Kindle is a small electronic book reading device for the 
>sighted.  You buy it $359.  You then purchase and download books 
>directly to it from Amazon.com.  The books are in a proprietary 
>format for the Kindle and can only be used on it.
>
>The new version has text-to-speech to read its books aloud.  A blind 
>person still couldn't use it though as there is no accessible way to 
>control it, pick and download books etc.
>
>Dave
>
>At 09:57 PM 2/12/2009, you wrote:
>>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.
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Writers Division web site:
>>>http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>>
>>>stylist mailing list
>>>stylist at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>for stylist:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/n6yr%40sunflower.com
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Writers Division web site:
>>http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
>>stylist mailing list
>>stylist at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>for stylist:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/dandrews%40visi.com
>>
>>
>>
>>Internal Virus Database is out of date.
>>Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
>>Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.17/1931 - Release Date: 
>>2/2/2009 7:21 PM
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Writers Division web site:
>http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>
>stylist mailing list
>stylist at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for stylist:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/n6yr%40sunflower.com