[blindlaw] [bllaw] International Copyright Concerns for BlindReaders

Wed Jun 17 02:27:59 UTC 2009

Thanks; I think I'm okay for now. But I'll keep it in mind. 
Ray

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Stimson" <marks at accessingenuity.com>
To: "'Ationfbnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 19:37:32
Subject: Re: [bllaw] [bllaw] International Copyright Concerns for BlReaders

>
>
> Hi Ray,
> There has been some very good posts and detailed information regarding the
> WIPO Treaty on the discussion list blindwebbers at yahoogroups.com .  If you
> would like, I could forward you the relevant posts.
> 
> Best regards, Mark
> 
> Mark Stimson, Ph.D.
> Document Accessibility Expert
> www.DocumentAccessibility.com
> www.AccessnIgenuity.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Frye, Dan
> Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 5:49 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List; david.andrews at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [bllaw] [bllaw] International Copyright Concerns for
> BlReaders
> 
> Ray:
> My understanding is that the issue was preserved for revisiting during
> the next gathering of this body scheduled for sometime in late fall,
> November I believe. This was regarded as a success in the international
> context, since originally the effort was to have the topic entirely
> removed from further discussion. If I receive any additional information
> about how interested people can help advocate on this matter prior to
> the next gathering, I'll pass it along. Chris Danielsen also follows
> this issue fairly closely.
> 
> Dan Frye 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of ray wayne
> Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 7:48 PM
> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org; blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [bllaw] [bllaw] International Copyright Concerns for
> BlReaders
> 
> Does anyone have updated information on the status of this matter? My
> chapter members received this e-mail, and our meeting is this Wednesday.
> The question will invariably come up. 
> Thanks in advance. 
> Ray Wayne
> PS: Please know that I am requesting information only-I do not, REPEAT,
> DO NOT, wish to instigate a flurry of commentary about the Obama
> administration! 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Frye, Dan" <DFrye at nfb.org> (by way of David Andrews
> <dandrews at visi.com>)
> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
> Date: Friday, May 29, 2009 17:42:27
> Subject: [bllaw] International Copyright Concerns for Blind Readers
> 
> >
> >
> > 
> > Colleagues:
> > 
> > I am circulating a lengthy post regarding efforts to limit an 
> > international treaty that would allow for rules that parallel existing
> 
> > domestic exceptions to the copyright law for blind people to govern in
> 
> > an international context. Please help bring pressure on authorities by
> 
> > letting President Obama know that these provisions would be useful, 
> > and ask him to direct his representatives to abandon their hostile 
> > posture toward aspects of the treaty that would be helpful. You may 
> > Email your concerns to:
> > 
> > <mailto:President at whitehouse.gov>President at whitehouse.gov
> > 
> > The post follows:
> > 
> > 
> > Right now, in Geneva, at the UN's World Intellectual Property 
> > Organization, history is being made. For the first time in WIPO 
> > history, the body that creates the world's copyright treaties is 
> > attempting to write a copyright treaty dedicated to protecting the 
> > interests of copyright users, not just copyright owners.
> > 
> > At issue is a treaty to protect the rights of blind people and people 
> > with other disabilities that affect reading (people with dyslexia, 
> > people who are paralyzed or lack arms or hands for turning pages).
> > This should be a slam dunk: who wouldn't want a harmonized system of 
> > copyright exceptions that ensure that it's possible for disabled 
> > people to get access to the written word?
> > 
> > The USA, that's who. The Obama administration'
> > 
> > US negotiators have joined with a rogue's gallery of rich country 
> > trade representatives to oppose protection for blind people. Other 
> > nations and regions opposing the rights of blind people include Canada
> 
> > and the EU.
> > 
> > Update: Also opposing rights for disabled people: Australia, New 
> > Zealand, the Vatican and Norway.
> > 
> > Activists at WIPO are desperate to get the word out. They're tweeting 
> > madly from the negotiation (technically called the 18th session of the
> 
> > Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights) publishing 
> > editorials on the Huffington Post, etc.
> > 
> > Here's where you come in: this has to get wide exposure, to get cast 
> > as broadly as possible, so that it will find its way into the ears of 
> > the obscure power-brokers who control national trade-negotiators.
> > 
> > I don't often ask readers to do things like this, but please, forward 
> > this post to people you know in the US, Canada and the EU, and ask 
> > them to reblog, tweet, and spread the word, especially to government 
> > officials and activists who work on disabled rights. We know that WIPO
> 
> > negotiations can be overwhelmed by citizen activists -- that's how we 
> > killed the Broadcast Treaty negotiation a few years back -- and with 
> > your help, we can make history, and create a world where copyright law
> 
> > protects the public interest.
> > 
> > I am attending a meeting in Geneva of the World Intellectual Property 
> > Organization (WIPO). This evening the United States government, in 
> > combination with other high income countries in "Group B" is seeking 
> > to block an agreement to discuss a treaty for persons who are blind or
> 
> > have other reading disabilities.
> > 
> > The proposal for a treaty is supported by a large number of civil 
> > society NGOs, the World Blind Union, the National Federation of the 
> > Blind in the US, the International DAISY Consortium, Recording for the
> 
> > Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), Bookshare.Org, and groups representing 
> > persons with reading disabilities all around the world.
> > 
> > The main aim of the treaty is to allow the cross-border import and 
> > export of digital copies of books and other copyrighted works in 
> > formats that are accessible to persons who are blind, visually 
> > impaired, dyslexic or have other reading disabilities, using special 
> > devices that present text as refreshable braille, computer generated 
> > text to speech, or large type. These works, which are expensive to 
> > make, are typically created under national exceptions to copyright law
> 
> > that are specifically written to benefit persons with disabilities.
> > 
> > ...
> > 
> > The opposition from the United States and other high income countries 
> > is due to intense lobbying from a large group of publishers that 
> > oppose a "paradigm shift,"
> > 
> > where treaties would protect consumer interests, rather than expand 
> > rights for copyright owners.
> > 
> > The Obama Administration was lobbied heavily on this issue, including 
> > meetings with high level White House officials. Assurances coming into
> 
> > the negotiations this week that things were going in the right 
> > direction have turned out to be false, as the United States delegation
> 
> > has basically read from a script written by lobbyists for publishers, 
> > extolling the virtues of market based solutions, ignoring mountains of
> 
> > evidence of a "book famine" and the insane legal barriers to share 
> > works.
> > 
> > Obama Joins Group to Block Treaty for Blind and Other Reading 
> > Disabilities COPYRIGHT EXCEPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS Twitter feed for 
> > #sccr18
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > With Kind Regards,
> > 
> > 
> > ininininininininininininininininininininininininininininininininin*
> > ininininininininin*
> > Daniel B. Frye, J.D.
> > Associate Editor
> > The Braille Monitor
> > National Federation of the Blind
> > Office of the President
> > 1800 Johnson Street
> > Baltimore, Maryland 21230
> > Telephone: (410) 659-9314 Ext. 2208
> > Mobile: (410) 241-7006
> > Fax: (410) 685-5653
> > Email: <mailto:DFrye at nfb.org>DFrye at nfb.org
> > Web Address: <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org "Voice of the Nation's 
> > Blind"
> > _______________________________________________
> > bllaw mailing list
> > blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> bllaw:
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40ny
> > c.rr.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> bllaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> bllaw:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/marks%40accessinge
> nuity.com
> 
> __________ NOD32 4157 (20090615) Information __________
> 
> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
> http://www.eset.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> bllaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for bllaw:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rwayne1%40nyc.rr.com