[A2k] Re: DRM and the World Blind Union's Proposed Treaty for Reading Disabled Persons

[Janet Hawtin]

On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 6:34 AM, James Love <james.love@keionline.org> wrot=
e:
> Dear Richard,
>
> Let me see if I understand where you are on this. =A0Right now the WBU ha=
s
> asked for a treaty that would grant disabled persons two freedoms. =A0(1)
> The freedom to use copyrighted works without permission from copyright
> owners, in order to make versions that are accessible, and (2) the
> freedom to circumvent DRM to make the copies, when the DRM is a barrier.
> (Plus the ability to import and export the accessible works).
>
> You oppose the treaty on the grounds that it grants disabled persons the
> right to circumvent DRM.
>
> So you would support the treaty if it did not grant disabled persons the
> freedom to circumvent DRM?
>
> Jamie

Is it feasible to make it permissable to circumvent DRM whenever the
intended use is otherwise a legal copyright use?
This would include accessibility uses. It would also include
circumvention to access your own work/writing, or for technicians to
work around an old DRM to make material available. It would include
access for fair use or fair dealing.
I do agree with RMS that if the only explicit circumvention permission
is accessibility it is not inclusive of all the other legal exemptions
people have been writing to secure on behalf of libraries and
education for example.

The fact that DRM stands between the user and legal use as an
additional obstacle is the overall problem imho, ianal.

Janet