[A2k] Opposition to removal of text-to-speech from ebooks

[Manon Ress]

A coalition of organizations representing people who cannot read print
will protest the removal of the text-to-speech function from e-books
for the Amazon Kindle 2 at the Authors Guild headquarters in NY City
at 31 East 32nd Street on April 7, 2009, 12 to 2:00 p.m. Join us there!

Some background:  on February 9, 2009, Amazon released a new version
of its e-book reade, the Kindle 2, which included text-to-speech
technology.

This technology which has been used mostly by people who are blind or
have print disabilities provides a =93reads aloud=94 text by way of
automated, synthetic speech.
The print-disabled community was extremely encouraged by this
development, since they have long advocated that manufacturers of
mainstream products make their devices fully accessible to all
Americans.  Other consumers who might not officially qualify as
reading disabled persons were also encouraged and ready to buy books
that they could also "listen to" if they needed.

However, because of pressure from the Authors Guild, Amazon has
announced that it will give authors and publishers the ability to
disable the text-to-speech function on any or all of their e-books
available for the Kindle 2.

There are 245,000 e-books currently available for the Kindle 2 and
that number will continue to expand.  The fact that they are not all
available for print disabled  persons willing to buy the books is a
shame.  The fact that the authors guild is falsely claiming it is a
copyright violation to listen to a bookis a shame.

All consumers, including the print disabled consumers, should let the
authors' guild know they are opposing the decision to make it
difficult to use the Kindle the way consumers want or need.

KEI Statement:
http://www.keionline.org/blogs/2009/03/27/kindle-2-synthetic-speech/

The Authors Guild is pressuring Amazon to modify the Kindle 2 so that
the synthetic speech function can only be used with the express
authorization of the owner of the copyright of a work. A coalition of
organizations that represent or work with persons with reading
disabilities is organizing a protest to persuade the Guild to change
its position. KEI supports the protest, and makes this statement on
the Kindle 2 issue:

Statement of James Love, Director, Knowledge Ecology International

     =93Knowing full well that not everyone can see, the Authors Guild
wants the right to be seen, but not heard. By blocking synthetic
speech functions in Kindle 2, the Authors Guild is showing shocking
contempt for the human rights of millions of persons who are blind or
have other reading disabilities, such as dyslexia. The UN Convention
on the rights of persons with disabilities seeks to ensure that all
persons =93can exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion,
including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas on an equal basis with others and through all forms of
communication of their choice,=94 using =93accessible formats and
technologies appropriate to different kinds of disabilities in a
timely manner and without additional cost.=94 By bullying Amazon to
change the technology of Kindle 2, the Authors Guild will either deny
access to people who are disabled, or make them pay more. The
disabling of the synthetic speech function of Kindle 2 is a gratuitous
act of aggression against a vulnerable population. The Authors Guild
must realize that many disabled persons are authors themselves, and as
such, they need to do research and read others. By attacking disabled
persons in this way, the Authors Guild is attacking everyone who would
otherwise benefit from the contributions this community has the
potential to offer.=94

In defending themselves against criticism from the reading disabled
community, the Guild offers this statement: =93Book authors have
traditionally authorized royalty-free copies in specialized formats
intended for the visually impaired, and copyright law provides a means
to distribute recordings to the blind. We can work this out.=94 The
reality today is that most authors do not voluntarily license works in
specialized formats, most published works are not accessible for
millions of disabled persons, and the Authors Guild has not made
efforts to =93work this out.=94


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Manon Ress
manon.ress@keionline.org
Knowledge Ecology International
1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA
Tel.:  +1.202.332.2670, Fax: +1.202.332.2673