Quote:
Originally Posted by stasys
But why you are talking only about TTS? As I understood this clause, if I bought, let say epub file and my ebook reader renders it poorly - I have a legal right to stripe out DRM and convert my epub file to whatever I want. Can't I?
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I think the reference to "screen reader" was probably intended to mean specialized "assistive technology" software:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_reader
Quote:
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A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen (or, more accurately, sent to standard output, whether a video monitor is present or not). This interpretation is then re-presented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a Braille output device. Screen readers are a form of assistive technology (AT) potentially useful to people who are blind, visually impaired, illiterate or learning disabled, often in combination with other AT, such as screen magnifiers.
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The inclusion of illiteracy or learning disability in this context is interesting, though I don't know if it has a legal basis. I think it would be hard to argue that someone wanting to listen to a book while driving has a pressing need for assistive technology, but someone who is even mildly dyslexic could probably make a pretty good case.
In any case, my understanding is that
it is not illegal to remove DRM (in the US).* It is illegal to provide tools with which to do so, and it is illegal to violate copyright law, e.g. distribute copies of content which has had DRM removed (or content which never had DRM, for that matter). I very much doubt any publisher is going to come after an individual for de-DRMing their library, as long as they don't then post the content to a torrent or something like that.
*Edited to add: my bad, it is illegal unless the content falls within one of the classes defined by the LOC:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17...1----000-.html
See section (a) (1).