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UK Copyright Laws May Allow Bypass For The Blind

Posted by timothy on from the seems-reasonable dept.

Faye Gibbins writes: "I've just heard on the BBC Radio 4 that there is a bill passing through the English parliment that will allow the blind to bypass the copyright and copyprotection on books and ebooks. (More at this site.) It seems to have wide backing in the lower house (Commons). I wonder what Adobe think of this?"

16 comments

  1. Bad idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It sets bad precedent for future cases involving copyright infringement. Allowing non-interested 3rd parties to break copyright is prima facie a bad idea.

    Populism at its worst.

    1. Re:Bad idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hear hear. Too bad Hitler didn't succeed in taking the British Isles. The world might be a better place today.

    2. Re:Bad idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, publishing companies are just like the Nazis in that they invade countries and kill citizens.

      Good point.

    3. Re:Bad idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How so? One can argue that this is fair use
      if there was one. The blind person would
      pay money for the book, so what's the damn problem?

    4. Re:Bad idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It disregards the book company's right (and responsibility) to release books-on-tape or to license the content to a company that will.

      There's an idea. Create a company whose sole purpose is to translate books to books on tape (or other media) by licensing the content from copyright holders. Not only would you have a fairly nice company on your hands, you'd have the backing of the gov't in the case of widespread "fair use" zealots applying principles to your domain.

  2. Copyright laws for the blind around the world by Account+10 · · Score: 2, Informative

    From the RNIB

    It looks like the UK will be leading the way with this, although I'm surprised its not being pushed at a European level.

  3. Not a worry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The only governmental forces in the UK that matter are the Queen and Manchester United, home of Bodington's. The Houses are just a rubber stamp.

  4. Finally a good law... by ghack · · Score: 1

    Finally, a good law...but there is hardly any info on the linked site...

  5. Gee... by Dyolf+Knip · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That's so swell of them. They're such humanitarians, letting blind people read the books they've purchased how they want. But we people who can see, we don't ever need to see our books except on a computer screen or on the paper it was originally printed on, and it's for our own good that we're not allowed to do anything else. Because I never listen to books on tape in the car, no sir! And anyone who wants to run the book they purchased with their own money through a speech program is obviously a terrorist and must be given harsher punishment than those pesky violent criminals.

    --
    Dyolf Knip
    1. Re:Gee... by TimMD909 · · Score: 1

      UPDATE: After a highly advanced auto-incriminator (currently under development for use my the US government) was first tested, a suspect was produced in under 3.4 seconds. Starting processing at slashdot.org (haven for people stating views not endorsed by the sojourn rulers), Dyolf Knip was identified as a suspected terrorist by the non-heuristic algorithm being developed. The following quote was extracted: "We're ... terrorist... [and] violet criminals."

      More to follow!

  6. How allowed is allowed? by Eccles · · Score: 1

    In the US, you have fair use rights; it's the technology needed to exercise them that's prevented. Is there any protection against a similar thing happening in this case?

    --
    Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
  7. Damn European Socialists... by benjamindees · · Score: 1

    This is the most asinine, communist idea I have ever heard. It's almost as bad as hate crimes legislation. Oh, boo-hoo, blind people can't see books so they need special legislation to allow them to do what anyone in the US can do already under the "fair-use" doctrine. This makes me proud that I live in a country in which RIGHTS ARE RETAINED, not granted. Although, sometimes I wonder if anyone in our government knows this.

    --
    "I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
    1. Re:Damn European Socialists... by ThePilgrim · · Score: 2

      Fair use exists in the english civil code. I.e. you have to personally sue the infringer to get your rights.

      This act will make it a 'crimanel' offence to block blind ppl. from using the books.

      --
      Wouldn't it be nice if schools got all the money they wanted and the army had to hold jumble sales for guns
  8. US law does too by prizog · · Score: 2

    The US has similar laws -- see 17 USC sect. 121.

    --
    Become a FSF associate member before the low #s are used
  9. Pn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "You are now wearing a blindfold."

    Muhahahahahahaha... >:-D