This is in reply to the blind seeking accessible books public announcement
that was posted Sept. 17.  It is from Jim Gashel of NFB and is reposted here
with his permission.

> From: James Gashel <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
> Cc: Jim McCarthy <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: darrell shandrow's message
> Date: Monday, September 18, 2000 11:18 AM
>
> Hello to all:
> I am responding to a release from Darrell Shandrow, asking to have
> electronic text files of commercially available books provided for posting
> on a web site called the book accessibility project.  While I absolutely
> agree with the sense of the effort--to be sure that blind people have
access
> to books in electronic text formats--I really have to caution against
> anything that would violate the present copyright laws.  I say this as one
> who is working on negotiating additional legislation on this subject and
as
> a participant in negotiating the law providing the current right to
> reproduce without seeking permission.
>
> In a few instances during our negotiations the publishers representatives
> have come forward with examples of people reproducing text legally under
the
> existing copyright law but then making it widely available on the Internet
> or other means in a way that would definitely violate the law.
>
> When that happens, it places me in the position of having essentially no
> credibility.  I say this because the publishers are not going to agree on
> legislation with us if they have reason to believe that it is apt to be
> violated in practice.  Furthermore, they know that a court would agree
with
> them.  Compelling as our need is, it would not be sufficient to convince a
> federal judge that we have the right to use the law to copy and
redistribute
> anything we want to to anyone we want to.  So, while expressing our
rightful
> frustration with the present system, we absolutely must not shoot
ourselves
> in the foot.
>
> Based on what I now know, I really do believe that we will be able to have
> some new legislation enacted that will make electronic text much more
> available.  The publishers agree that more law is needed on this, and that
> is the first, big step.  Besides, technology is making it much easier for
> books to be converted into electronic text that blind people can really
use.
> The evolution of e-books will also help.  Presently we are planning for
some
> upcoming meetings with Microsoft and the publishers about being sure that
> e-books will be accessible.
>
> So, much as I support the purpose behind the book accessibility project,
you
> really need to be sure that anything like this is implemented in
accordance
> with the law.  I am not saying that the project should be discontinued,
just
> that it has to comply with the law or it will really do more harm than
good.
>
>
> Thanks, J. G.
>
>
>
>
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