[nfb-talk] new accessibility to materials

[Michael Bullis]

Can somebody explain what the implications of this are?
Mike Bullis
PC Pro, UK Thursday, November 23, 2006
U.S. blind people are now permitted to circumvent any DRM on electronic 
books
By Simon Aughton
US permits phone-cracking and DVD copying exemptions to copyright law
Extract: "Under the other exemptions introduced yesterday in the US, blind 
people are now permitted to circumvent any DRM on
electronic books, so that they can use tools such as text-to-speech software 
to read them."
The US Library of Congress has approved a record number of exemptions to 
copyright laws, granting permission for film and media
studies professors to crack DVD discs' DRM and for breaking software locks 
on mobile phones. In total, the Librarian of Congress,
James H Billington has granted six exemptions, the most ever, and for the 
first time has exempted groups of users en masse,
including phone recyclers and people working on computer security.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which introduced several strict 
copyright protections into US law, stipulates that
every three years the Librarian examines the need for any exemptions and 
acts accordingly.
The library's Copyright Office has determined that it will now be legal to 
break and remove the software locks on phones so that
they can be used with any chosen carrier. Not only will this let consumers 
get full value from their handsets, it will also
increase the scope for the reuse of handsets.
While permission for film studies professors to copy extracts from DVDs has 
always existed under fair-use provisions, the new
exemption gives them the right to break the CSS copy-protection that 
encumbers most DVD discs.
The change had been resisted by Hollywood, who suggested that VHS tape 
extracts be used instead, but professors argued that DVDs
preserve a more accurate record of the original film print's colours and 
dimensions.
Under the other exemptions introduced yesterday in the US, blind people are 
now permitted to circumvent any DRM on electronic
books, so that they can use tools such as text-to-speech software to read 
them.
The Copyright Office also authorised cracking the DRM on software where the 
technology to read it is no longer available and if
the software's use is restricted by a dongle that is damaged and cannot be 
replaced. Finally, the Copyright Office has given
permission for testing DRM technologies on CDs for any possible computer 
security vulnerabilities. This follows the widespread
use of two such technologies by Sony BMG which opened a significant security 
hole in Windows.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation said it was disappointed that calls for 
an exemption that would have allowed the copying of
DVD content so that it could be transferred to devices such as an iPod were 
rejected, but nonetheless welcomed the changes.
'I am very encouraged by the fact that the Copyright Office is willing to 
recognise exemptions for archivists, cell phone
recyclers and computer security experts,' said Fred von Lohmann, an attorney 
for the digital rights campaign group. 'Frankly I'm
surprised and pleased they were granted.'
Billington stressed that his ruling is not an indictment of the DMCA.
'This is not a broad evaluation of the successes or failures of the DMCA,' 
he said. 'The purpose of the proceeding is to
determine whether current technologies that control access to copyrighted 
works are diminishing the ability of individuals to use
works in lawful, non-infringing ways.'
Full details of the six exemptions are listed in the Determination of the 
Librarian of Congress and Text of the Regulation [PDF]
while a summary is online at copyright.gov/1201.
LINK:
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/docs/fedreg_notice.pdf
(Source URL below)
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/98556/us-permits-phonecracking-and-dvd-copying-exemptions-to-copyright-law.html