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?"

Copyright laws for the blind around the world

[Account 10]

From the RNIB [rnib.org.uk]

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

Finally a good law...

[ghack]

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

Gee...

[Dyolf Knip]

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.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

How allowed is allowed?

[Eccles]

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?

Damn European Socialists...

[benjamindees]

This is the most asinine, communist idea I have ever heard. It's almost as bad as hate crimes legislation [thefence.com]. 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.

Re:Damn European Socialists...

[ThePilgrim]

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.

US law does too

[prizog]

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