[nfb-talk] National Federation of the Blind Responds toAuthors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2

Sarah Baughn sarahb006 at comcast.net
Sun Feb 15 08:43:02 UTC 2009


I'm beginningg to think that this is just the start of things to come in 
this counttry, and the world if we don't turn things around, folks.
Sarah
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Ray Foret jr" 
<rforetjr at comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] National Federation of the Blind Responds toAuthors 
Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2


> Ray,
>
> My understanding is that the Author's Guild is objecting to the public 
> having books in a form that allows a machine to
> read them.  My guess is that they would say that our reading was 
> accomplished by the granting of special permission to
> us as was commonly done in the past and that the law you cited also grants 
> us an exception.  However, it seems clear
> to me that making the statements that they have made very clearly slows 
> down our accessibility to mainstream books
> through mainstream channels that we could otherwise have and the argument 
> seems ridiculous to me.  I wonder when
> they're going to say that parents can't read alloud to kids because buying 
> the book means that a parent only has a
> license for their own reading and that reading to someone else without 
> permission is violating the license.  After all, that
> is what software often does.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:55:11 -0600, Ray Foret jr wrote:
>
>>I can't help but wonder.  Has the Author's guild had their heads buried in
>>the sand since 1934 or earlier?  Could they honestly be so stupid as to 
>>not
>>have ever been aware of public law 89-522?  Were they un-aware that, for
>>years, we, the blind, have been using talking books beginning in 1934 with
>>vinyl phonograph records and with cassettes beginning at least in 1967 or
>>so?  Wince comes this crazy outlandish statement that reading books 
>>allowed
>>is a violation of copy right?  Are they really and consciously against the
>>blind; or, perhaps just un-aware?  Well, what ever the case may happen to
>>be, perhaps they will awaken to their senses now that we have responded in
>>this fashion.  If not, then what?  Do we sue the entire author's guild; 
>>or,
>>just target those individuals directly responsible for making that
>>statement?  Something just strikes me all wrong about this sudden
>>declaration upon the part of the author's guild; I mean really, that they
>>should now just come right strait out and say that reading books allowed 
>>is
>>a violation of copy right.  Smacks of prudential arrogance, in my humble
>>opinion!!!  I also can't help but wonder.  How would they feel if one of
>>their members went blind and did not want to or could not (for what ever
>>reason) learn Braille?  Ah, then what?  Mind you, I don't wish that on any
>>of their members; still and all, part of me can't help but ask the 
>>question.
>>What next if they resist?  Well, no doubt we'll be taking further action I
>>dare speculate.  I guess it gets harder "at the top of the stairs"; so to
>>speak.  Most of me would, as I say, prefer to believe that this is a case 
>>of
>>mere ignorance on their parts; but, somehow, I just cannot bring myself to
>>that conclusion.  in the end, I'm coming down on the side that it's not
>>accidental or ignorance; rather, it's a deliberate attack upon all the
>>blind; and, for that matter, the sited illiterate of this country.  I'd
>>rather peace, but, if it's war they want, damn it, let's go to war!!!!!
>
>>Sincerely,
>>The Constantly BAREFOOTED Ray
>
>>"Old friend, what are you looking for?  After those many years abroad you
>>come With images you tended Under foreign skies Far away from your own 
>>land"
>>George Seferis
>
>>Phone or Fax::
>>+1 (985) 360-3375
>>e-mail:
>>rforetjratcomcastdotnet
>>Skype Name:
>>barefootedray
>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)"
>><JFreeh at nfb.org>
>>To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 9:38 PM
>>Subject: [nfb-talk] National Federation of the Blind Responds to Authors
>>Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
>
>
>>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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>
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>
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