[nfb-talk] [Vrstream]Fw:[fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie Wonderto UN: EaseCopyrights forthe Blind

BMW lynnwhite51 at sbcglobal.net
Tue Sep 28 23:08:04 UTC 2010


there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he said.  He was relating being 
in the dark to be deprived of accessibility to literacy.

I hope that people who are critical have taken the time to have heard the 
speech.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk][Vrstream]Fw:[fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie Wonderto UN: 
EaseCopyrights forthe Blind


> that may very well be but as a blind person himself he should be much more 
> enlightened. I realize that as a musician and song writer there is a 
> tendency for a flare for the dramatic and this writing style and 
> phraseology demonstrates the flare for the dramatic.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Wm. Ritchhart" <william.ritchhart at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 7:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream]Fw:[fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie Wonderto 
> UN: Ease Copyrights forthe Blind
>
>
>> "Living in the dark" is often used when discussing illiteracy.  I guess I 
>> am
>> getting soft in some of you folks views.  I don't have a problem with the
>> statement as I read it.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of John Heim
>> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 11:32 AM
>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw:[fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie Wonderto 
>> UN:
>> Ease Copyrights for the Blind
>>
>> The best way to show people that you can stand up for your rights is to
>> stand up for your rights. That's exactly what Stevie Wonder was doing.
>>
>> Intellectual property issues are a matter of competing rights. People 
>> have a
>>
>> right to intellectual properties like books, medicines,  and technologies 
>> if
>>
>> it can save their lives or their jobs. On the other hand, the creators of
>> that intellectual property have a right to be compensated for their work.
>> Copyright advocates tend to make the counter intuitive argument that by
>> restricting access to knowledge, there will be more of it. Their 
>> reasoning
>> is that unless those who develop the knowledge are fairly compensated, 
>> they
>> won't  bother to develop more knowledge. And, of course, there's a 
>> certain
>> amount of truth to that.
>>
>> The trick is to find the proper balance between  the competing rights of
>> intellectual property creators and those who need it. IMO, our society 
>> has
>> drifted far toward favoring the rights of the creators of intellectual
>> property. Governments in many countries have simply ignored patents on 
>> AIDS
>> drugs for example. What else can they do? They can't afford to pay the
>> licensing fee and if they don't manufacture the drugs illegally, millions 
>> of
>>
>> people will die. Even the drug companies have recognized that their 
>> demands
>> are impossible for some countries to meet and in most cases, they waive 
>> the
>> licensing fee after the fact.
>>
>> Copyright exceptions for the blind came about in the United States when 
>> it
>> became clear that publishers were not granting exceptions to NLS in a 
>> timely
>>
>> manner. NLS would request permission to make a audio version of a book 
>> for
>> distribution in their own specialized format. But often it would be years
>> before they heard from the publisher. Sometimes they would never hear 
>> from
>> the publisher. It was in response to this foot dragging by publishers 
>> that
>> Congress passed the law that made bookshare.org possible. But, of course,
>> that only addressed the problem for citizens of the United States.
>>
>> The World Blind Union has been working for copyright exceptions for the
>> blind for over 25 years now. The current proposed treaty was drafted in
>> conjunction with Knowledge Ecology, a group advocating for the rights of
>> users of intellectual property.  Its a very well crafted document. Like 
>> the
>> US law that makes bookshare.org possible, the treaty would allow only
>> non-profits to distribute material and only in a specialized format. 
>> Also,
>> subscribers would have to prove that they had a reading disability. These
>> are all the same rules that bookshare.org is subject to.
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS) [E]" <Terry.Powers at nih.gov>
>> To: "'qubit'" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>; "'NFB Talk Mailing List'"
>> <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 7:35 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw:[fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie Wonderto 
>> UN:
>>
>> Ease Copyrights for the Blind
>>
>>
>>> Living in the dark can be taken at least two ways.  It can mean with no
>>> sight, but it can also mean in suclusion.  We, the blind, get out and do
>>> most anything, the same way a sighted person would, in our own way.  We 
>>> do
>>
>>> not stay in the dark, we socialize. We do not want the world to think we
>>> can not stand up for our rights.
>>>
>>> Terry Powers
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: qubit [mailto:lauraeaves at yahoo.com]
>>> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 7:27 AM
>>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie 
>>> Wonderto
>>> UN: Ease Copyrights for the Blind
>>>
>>> Isn't it true that the word "blind" has more than 1 meaning?  I see
>>> nothing wrong with what Stevie Wonder said, as I think using the 
>>> metaphore
>>
>>> of blindness as applied to the mind is apt.  You lose a lot when you try
>>> to be too politically correct -- I don't want people to feel like they 
>>> are
>>
>>> walking on egg shells when they are around me.  If they think blindness 
>>> is
>>
>>> a good metaphore to use, let them use it, and if they ask what I think 
>>> of
>>> it I can judge then whether the word was misapplied.
>>> I think no blind person thinks it's great to be blind -- at best, it is 
>>> a
>>> nuisance, and at worst it can carry negative connotations that can cause 
>>> a
>>
>>> person to be limited in his life.  Even dealing with the "nuisance"
>>> definition is a pain.    But everyone has challenges, if not blindness,
>>> it's
>>> something else.  One of my brothers never lets me go into a "pity party"
>>> about blindness, since if I express how something is difficult, he is
>>> quick to remind me that it's the same as for anyone -- meaning the same
>>> level of uncertainty and stress applies to everyone, albeit in a 
>>> different
>>
>>> way.
>>>
>>> Well, anyway, off that soapbox.
>>> --le
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "BMW" <lynnwhite51 at sbcglobal.net>
>>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 7:27 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie 
>>> Wonderto
>>> UN: Ease Copyrights for the Blind
>>>
>>>
>>> I didn't hear him say it and I just heard the presentation.  And, if he
>>> did, I think it was a symbolism to show that people who are able to 
>>> access
>>
>>> material are, in fact, living in the dark.
>>>
>>> Lots of truth to that.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 3:08 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie Wonder 
>>> to
>>> UN: Ease Copyrights for the Blind
>>>
>>>
>>>>I agree with you John:  we don't know for a fact what Stevie Wonder said
>>>>and this is to important to be consumed by blindness politics.
>>>>
>>>> Dave
>>>>
>>>> At 01:58 PM 9/21/2010, you wrote:
>>>>>The truth is that Stevie Wonder is trying to do a very good thing for
>>>>>blind people all over the world. To attack him for a unfortunate choice
>>>>>of
>>>>>words is unfair. It amazes  me how all of a sudden, people on this list
>>>>>are into PC language.
>>>>>
>>>>>The truth is that Stevie Wonder's choice of words is not the main issue
>>>>>here. The real issue is getting those treaty exceptions ratified. As I
>>>>>explained, the treaty exceptions Mr. Wonder is working for would
>>>>>essentially allow bookshare.org to go international.  That would be a
>>>>>very
>>>>>good thing.
>>>>>
>>>>>I believe that the NFB is in favor of that too. So is bookshare, and 
>>>>>yes,
>>>>>so is the ACB.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Gloria Whipple"
>>>>><fairyfoot at webband.com>
>>>>>To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 11:11 AM
>>>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l]Stevie 
>>>>>Wonderto
>>>>>UN: Ease Copyrights for theBlind
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Cannot except the truth?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Believe what you want.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Gloria Whipple
>>>>>>Corrisponding secretary
>>>>>>Inland Empire chapter
>>>>>>nfb of WA
>>>>>>
>>>>>>cell number: 509-475-4993
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>>From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>>>>On
>>>>>>Behalf Of John Heim
>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 8:19 AM
>>>>>>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l] Stevie
>>>>>>Wonderto
>>>>>>UN: Ease Copyrights for theBlind
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Rubbish is a bit strong, don't you think?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>PS: I saw another article on the same issue and "in the dark" is a
>>>>>>direct
>>>>>>quote. Apparently, Stevie Wonder used that term. But again, while it
>>>>>>might
>>>>>>not be the best choice of terms, its not a key point. Lets not throw 
>>>>>>the
>>>>>>baby out with the bath water. Mr. Wonder is going a good thing here. 
>>>>>>If
>>>>>>you
>>>>>>have ever wondered why more promenent  blindpeople don't get involved 
>>>>>>in
>>>>>>blid issues, you may have the reason right here.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Gloria Whipple"
>>>>>><fairyfoot at webband.com>
>>>>>>To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 10:01 AM
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l] Stevie
>>>>>>Wonderto
>>>>>>UN: Ease Copyrights for theBlind
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>That is why I deleted it.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>What rubbish!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Gloria Whipple
>>>>>>>Corrisponding secretary
>>>>>>>Inland Empire chapter
>>>>>>>nfb of WA
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>cell number: 509-475-4993
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>>>>>>>[mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>>>>>On
>>>>>>>Behalf Of Ray Foret Jr
>>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:48 AM
>>>>>>>To: Sherri
>>>>>>>Cc: vrstream at vrstreamusers.org; NFB Talk Mailing List
>>>>>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [Vrstream] Fw: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l] Stevie
>>>>>>>Wonder
>>>>>>>to
>>>>>>>UN: Ease Copyrights for theBlind
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I have a problem with his phrase, "live in the dark.  What a picture 
>>>>>>>of
>>>>>>>blindness.  Yes, we need access to books; but, at this price?  What 
>>>>>>>can
>>>>>>>one
>>>>>>>expect from folks who think there's no day or night for the blind?  I
>>>>>>>must
>>>>>>>protest!!!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Sincerely,
>>>>>>>The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>A Very Proud and Happy Mac User!!!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>E-Mail:
>>>>>>>rforetjr at comcast dot net
>>>>>>>Skype Name:
>>>>>>>barefootedray
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On Sep 21, 2010, at 9:15 AM, Sherri wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Passing this along. Thought this was interesting!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Sherri
>>>>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Edwards, Paul" <pedwards at mdc.edu>
>>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 9:48 AM
>>>>>>>Subject: [fcb-l] FW: [acb-l] Stevie Wonder to UN: Ease Copyrights for
>>>>>>>theBlind
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>From: acb-l-bounces at acb.org [mailto:acb-l-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf
>>>>>>>>Of
>>>>>>>John Heim
>>>>>>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 9:46 AM
>>>>>>>>To: acb-l at acb.org
>>>>>>>>Subject: [acb-l] Stevie Wonder to UN: Ease Copyrights for the Blind
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Relevant to our recent discussion about people who have "made it".
>>>>>>>>--- Stevie Wonder to UN: Ease Copyrights for the Blind
>>>>>>>>GENEVA (AP) -- Stevie Wonder pressed global copyright overseers on
>>>>>>>>Monday
>>>>>>>to
>>>>>>>>help blind and visually impaired people access millions of science,
>>>>>>>history
>>>>>>>>and other audiobooks, which they cannot read in electronic form.
>>>>>>>>The blind singer told the U.N.'s 184-nation World Intellectual
>>>>>>>>Property
>>>>>>>>Organization that more than 300 million people who ''live in the
>>>>>>>>dark''
>>>>>>>want
>>>>>>>>to ''read their way into light,'' and the current copyright system
>>>>>>>>denies
>>>>>>>>them an equal opportunity.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The current legal framework means that institutes for the blind in
>>>>>>>different
>>>>>>>>countries may be required to make multiple audiobook versions of the
>>>>>>>>same
>>>>>>>>work, said Richard Owens, WIPO's director of copyright and 
>>>>>>>>electronic
>>>>>>>>commerce.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Owens said this leads to higher costs that are passed on to the
>>>>>>>>listeners.
>>>>>>>>It also limits access to blind and partially blind people in poor
>>>>>>>countries,
>>>>>>>>which cannot afford to make their own versions of everything from
>>>>>>>>science
>>>>>>>>textbooks to best-sellers, he said.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The U.N. agency has been trying for six years to revamp its global
>>>>>>>copyright
>>>>>>>>framework so that it better accounts for new media, such as
>>>>>>>>audiobooks.
>>>>>>>For
>>>>>>>>the blind and visually impaired, the goal is to create a 
>>>>>>>>clearinghouse
>>>>>>>>so
>>>>>>>>that published material can be traded around the world and 
>>>>>>>>translated
>>>>>>>>into
>>>>>>>>new, readable formats.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>But the problem of access for such copyrighted material goes to the
>>>>>>>>heart
>>>>>>>of
>>>>>>>>a growing crisis in the world of copyright protection, as the 
>>>>>>>>Internet
>>>>>>>>increasingly muddies laws that were created for traditional media.
>>>>>>>>Whereas
>>>>>>>>wide exceptions exist for books in Braille, WIPO officials say there
>>>>>>>>is
>>>>>>>>confusion over how these benefits can be translated into the digital
>>>>>>>>age.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Proponents of a new agreement say the same benefits that digital 
>>>>>>>>books
>>>>>>>>provide most consumers -- lower costs and better storage and
>>>>>>>>accessibility -- should be extended to those with disabilities. The
>>>>>>>>United
>>>>>>>>States and European nations that export large amounts of published
>>>>>>>material
>>>>>>>>are somewhat hesitant because of concerns over an erosion of
>>>>>>>>intellectual
>>>>>>>>property rights, and want to avoid a binding treaty.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Wonder called for a compromise and teased the diplomats.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>''Please work it out. Or I'll have to write a song about what you
>>>>>>>>didn't
>>>>>>>>do,'' said the 60-year-old singer known for such hits as
>>>>>>>>''Superstition''
>>>>>>>>and ''I Just Called to Say I Love You.''
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Complicating the talks are the demands of African countries, which 
>>>>>>>>are
>>>>>>>>seeking even larger copyright loopholes. They want their libraries 
>>>>>>>>and
>>>>>>>>academic institutions to be able to skip licensing agreements so 
>>>>>>>>that
>>>>>>>>they
>>>>>>>>can provide audiobook access for larger communities.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Wonder, who has sold tens of million of albums, said any agreement
>>>>>>>>should
>>>>>>>>respect the authors ''who labor to create the great works that
>>>>>>>>enlighten
>>>>>>>and
>>>>>>>>nourish our minds, hearts and souls.'' He insisted on a practical
>>>>>>>>solution
>>>>>>>>so that blind and visually impaired people get ''the tools to think
>>>>>>>>their
>>>>>>>>way out of poverty.''
>>>>
>>>>                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
>>>> Follow me on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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>>
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