Alas! Mervyn, I don't see how. As far as I can remember --(the Bill
seems to have disappeared from
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200102/cmbills/13
1/2002131.pdf and not yet appeared as an Act)-- the Act allows personal
copying only. Organisations that want to distribute the results still
have to get clearance from copyright owners. It might allow individuals
who have scanned books to make them available to an organisation like
Bookshare, but the organisation would still need to get permission to
distribute them to anybody else. And the publisher could still refuse.

Bookshare (www.bookshare.org) operates on the opposite principle. The
Chafee Amendment to the Copyright Act, 1996 (USA) allows special
organisations to make works available in disability specific formats
without having to get permission from the copyright owner. (see
http://www.bitlaw.com/source/17usc/121.html). Bookshare is using the
cooperative power of disabled individuals and volunteers to build a
library of digital books.

Even better, some states now oblige some publishers to make books
available in digital format for the disabled. So nobody has to waste
their time scanning them in and quality can be easily controlled. The
pending Federal Instructional Materials Accessibility Act (IMAA) (see
http://www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?documentid=1785) will oblige
publishers of educational text books to make their contents available
digitally for the reading impaired.

And all of this legislation applies to all reading impaired people
(including dyslexic), not just to those with VI.

We need major law changes to allow us to catch up.

Regards
Ian Litterick

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mervyn Robertson [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: 08 November 2002 11:33
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: (Fwd) The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) 
> Act 2002 rece i
> 
> 
> And therefore the Bookshare.org project (currently only 
> available to US
> residents) should, hopefully, give rise to similar 
> availability in the UK!
> 
> http://www.rnib.org.uk/techshare/bookshare_fruchterman.htm 
> gives information
> of a paper being presented at the forthcoming Techshare conference.
> 
> Regards
> Mervyn
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eileen Nazha [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 08 November 2002 10:46
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: (Fwd) The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 
> 2002 recei
> 
> 
> A timely bit of good news following on from Ian's comment yesterday!
> 
> Eileen Nazha
> Main Library
> Queen Mary, University of London
> 
> 
> ------- Forwarded message follows -------
> Date sent:              Fri, 8 Nov 2002 10:27:31 -0000
> Send reply to:          "Hanstock, Terry" <[log in to unmask]>
> From:                   "Hanstock, Terry" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject:                The Copyright (Visually Impaired 
> Persons) Act 2002
> receives Royal
>                 assent
> To:                     [log in to unmask]
> 
> P/2002/682
> 
> 8 November 2002
> 
> MELANIE JOHNSON WELCOMES GREATER ACCESS RIGHTS FOR
> VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE
> 
> Two million people in the UK with visual impairment will benefit from
> better access to information and literature as Government-supported
> legislation received Royal Assent last night.
> 
> The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002 will give people
> with sight loss easier access to alternative formats of copyright
> material, such as large print, Braille and audio.
> 
> It will bring to an end the often time consuming process whereby
> visually impaired people, and voluntary bodies acting on their
> behalf, must seek permission from copyright owners before making more
> accessible copies of material.
> 
> Consumer Minister Melanie Johnson said:
> 
> "In the past visually impaired people have experienced problems in
> gaining quick and easy access to reading material - such as school
> textbooks, instruction manuals, magazines and novels - which most of
> us take for granted.
> 
> "This new legislation will make Braille, large print and audio
> formats more easily available, and at the same time, maintain the
> ability of copyright owners to monitor what is happening to their
> material."
> 
> "I would like to thank Rachel Squire and her sponsors at the RNIB for
> the part they have played in providing an opportunity to pursue early
> legislation. I welcome the real reductions in social exclusion that
> this Act will deliver.
> 
> "I am pleased that organisations representing visually impaired
> people and copyright owners are continuing to collaborate to make
> this new legislation a success in practice. We will be working with
> them too to develop detailed guidance before the Act comes into
> force."
> 
> Notes to editors
> 
> 1. The Government consulted on a possible new exception to copyright
> law for the benefit of visually impaired people from February to May
> 2001. See www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/index
> 
> 2. The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002 started in the
> House of Commons in July 2001 as a private member's bill put forward
> by Ms Rachel Squire MP, member for Dunfermline West, with Government
> support, and was taken through the Lords by Lord Morris of
> Manchester. It received Royal Assent on 7th November 2002.
> 
> 3. The full text of the Act is available from Her Majesty's
> Stationery Office (see website at  <http://www.hmso.gov.uk>
> http://www.hmso.gov.uk).
> 
> 4. Final guidance on the provisions in the Act will be issued before
> an order bringing the legislation into force is made next Spring.
> 
> Public Enquiries: 020-7215 5000
> Textphone (for people with hearing impairments): 020-7215 6740
>  <http://www.dti.gov.uk> http://www.dti.gov.uk
> 
> Department of Trade and Industry
> 1 Victoria Street
> London
> SW1H 0ET
> 
> 
> ------- End of forwarded message -------
> 
> 
>