[vendtalk] FW: Librarian of Congress Says Blind Have Right to Access E-books

[Kevan Worley]

  _____  

From: Freeh, Jessica [mailto:JFreeh at nfb.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 2:25 PM
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Subject: Librarian of Congress Says Blind Have Right to Access E-books

 

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."

 

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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.