MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Disabling text-to-speech (TTS) triggers DMCA exemption: YOU ARE ALLOWED TO REMOVE DRM

wallcraft · 07-26-2010, 08:44 PM

The "read-aloud" exception is not new, but it has been renewed for 3 years.

Since I am not a lawyer I can tell you what I think this means:

It is available to everyone (not just the blind and visually impaired).

It might not apply to a Kindle ebook with TTS disabled, if either a) another version of the same ebook (e.g. in LIT format, say) allows read-aloud (which is very unlikely), or b) an "authorized entity" makes TTS enabled versions for the blind and visually impaired. Some publishers do have arrangements with various organizations to make TTS versions, and this might protect them from this exception. Also, a Kindle version with TTS enabled nullifies this exception for (say) ePub versions which don't allow read-aloud. This is on its face ridiculous, but that is what the exception says.

As a practical matter, no one is ever going to be sued under the DMCA for circumventing ebook DRM for the purpose of format shifting for personal use. The "read-aloud" exception make this even less likely for ebooks than other copyrighted material.

07-26-2010, 08:44 PM	#75
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The "read-aloud" exception is not new, but it has been renewed for 3 years. Since I am not a lawyer I can tell you what I think this means: It is available to everyone (not just the blind and visually impaired). It might not apply to a Kindle ebook with TTS disabled, if either a) another version of the same ebook (e.g. in LIT format, say) allows read-aloud (which is very unlikely), or b) an "authorized entity" makes TTS enabled versions for the blind and visually impaired. Some publishers do have arrangements with various organizations to make TTS versions, and this might protect them from this exception. Also, a Kindle version with TTS enabled nullifies this exception for (say) ePub versions which don't allow read-aloud. This is on its face ridiculous, but that is what the exception says. As a practical matter, no one is ever going to be sued under the DMCA for circumventing ebook DRM for the purpose of format shifting for personal use. The "read-aloud" exception make this even less likely for ebooks than other copyrighted material. Last edited by wallcraft; 07-26-2010 at 08:46 PM.