Quote:
Originally Posted by kamm
Actually I think it's rather a clear-cut legal case for exemption:
Literary works distributed in e-book format when all existing e-book editions of the work (including digital text editions made available by authorized entities) contain access controls that prevent the enabling either of the book’s read-aloud function or of screen readers that render the text into a specialized format.
In other words the LAW SAYS if all existing ebook editions/releases of a book/work have TTS disabled then you can LEGALLY CIRCUMVENT/HACK the DRM to enable it.
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After thinking about it some more, I now agree with you.
The poorly written parts are "all existing" and "authorized entities". How much of a search do I have to make for all existing ebook formats, and why does it matter (there is only one format for the Kindle)? The authorized entities are organizations that make ebooks available to the visually impaired, but it isn't clear if this still applies if I am not eligible for those ebooks (and how I find out if such an ebook exists).
Even so, as I said in another thread:
If the Kindle TTS is disabled the copyright holder has explicitly chosen to do so and it is reasonable to assume that all other ebook versions also have TTS disabled. So, absent information about "authorized entities" (who make ebooks available to the visually impaired), this exception does apply at a minimum to removing the DRM for TTS on the Kindle. To me, if you want to use the Kindle'sTTS and are prevented from doing so you are adversely affected. Re-enabling the Kindle's TTS involves leaving the encryption in place and deleting one entry in the metadata. This is minimal intrusion on the DRM, and so far as I can tell entirely legal for personal use in the US. Actually, there is no possibility of non-personal use since the ebook is still tied to a single Kindle by the DRM.