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UK Copyright Laws May Allow Bypass For The Blind
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?"
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.
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
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
The US has similar laws -- see 17 USC sect. 121.
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