Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Can I send voice notes of me reading a book to a blind friend? (self.Blind)
submitted by tubelightasks
I just wanted to know if its okay or is it considered copyright violation if I read a book thats not in public domain and sent recordings to a blind friend?
EDIT: Thank you guys. Friend can access Bookshare but the problem is they don't understand English very well. So I am gonna read and also translate the sentences that seem difficult in the voice recording. That's why we are doing it in voice recording. Our free times dont match (mornings for them and evenings for me) so phone calls not possible. Thanks for the words again guys. So I am gonna send recordings.
EDIT: Thank you guys. Friend can access Bookshare but the problem is they don't understand English very well. So I am gonna read and also translate the sentences that seem difficult in the voice recording. That's why we are doing it in voice recording. Our free times dont match (mornings for them and evenings for me) so phone calls not possible. Thanks for the words again guys. So I am gonna send recordings.
retrolental_morose 8 points 3y ago
as long as your friend doesn't distribute them you'll have no trouble.
regicide85 4 points 3y ago
I'm calling the cops right now.
petite4eyes 3 points 3y ago
I was just going to comment, “looks like we have found the exemplar of the Lawful Good moral alignment.”
regicide85 3 points 3y ago
Haha, for sure, but it almost feels like a lawful neutral person making sure that they obey the lawful evil overlords.
vwlsmssng 3 points 3y ago
If in effect you have *loaned* the book to your friend for the duration they have the recordings of you reading it, and they return the book by deleting the recordings, then it is hard to see how anyone could complain over what is a technical copyright violation and not one in spirit.
GoBlindOrGoHome 2 points 3y ago
You can. Copyright only applies if A) you’re appealing to the same demographic as the person who made the book and B) you’re making a profit. If you’re not selling the book or intentionally harming it’s sales by giving it away en masse. You should be A-OK. Just don’t post it online, make sure only one copy is sent and that you haven’t made it publicly available.
DrillInstructorJan 0 points 2y ago
I don't want to be the bad guy here and I'm sorry but what you're saying is not in any sense true. I'm not a lawyer (I am a musician and I make a living out of copyright). Still, I am pretty confident in telling you that copyright applies in pretty much all cases with some absolutely tiny exceptions for situations like reviews and journalism which do not apply here. People constantly say things like this, that it only applies if you're making a profit or if you're not appealing to the same people, but that just isn't true and it is not what the law says in any country I'm aware of.
In reality I think what this person wants to do is massively unlikely to cause anyone any problems as no company will want to be seen as attacking someone who's trying to help a blind person, but that doesn't change the state of the actual law.
In reality I think what this person wants to do is massively unlikely to cause anyone any problems as no company will want to be seen as attacking someone who's trying to help a blind person, but that doesn't change the state of the actual law.
GoBlindOrGoHome 1 points 2y ago
look up FAIR USE.
Education, along with parody, satire, and criticism, are all acceptable forms of fair use that fall outside copyright infringement. OP’s request is PRIVATE STUDY and EDUCATIONAL both of which are FAIR USE.
Teachers play music in classrooms without permission, not for profit, for educational purposes, and this is not copyright infringement.
​
edit: I’m Canadian. Don’t ask about state laws.
Education, along with parody, satire, and criticism, are all acceptable forms of fair use that fall outside copyright infringement. OP’s request is PRIVATE STUDY and EDUCATIONAL both of which are FAIR USE.
Teachers play music in classrooms without permission, not for profit, for educational purposes, and this is not copyright infringement.
​
edit: I’m Canadian. Don’t ask about state laws.
DrillInstructorJan 1 points 2y ago
I'm in the UK, but this stuff is very similar in most first world countries.
I'm not here to start an argument with you, but that's not what "fair use" means. Unfortunately, it doesn't just mean "use we think is reasonable." In most jurisdictions the idea of fair use is to stop people using copyright law to suppress criticism. Otherwise, for instance, a journalist could never criticise a politician's speech without infringing the copyright in the quotes used. That's part of what fair use is for.
Educational use and private study are usually not fair use in the legal sense if you're not just citing small fragments of stuff, even if you will usually get away with it. The reality is that copyright law is not very well enforced, which is actually a good thing because if it was properly enforced it would prevent loads of totally okay and normal things.
But there is a difference between what you're likely to get away with, and what's actually legally enforceable.
I'm not here to start an argument with you, but that's not what "fair use" means. Unfortunately, it doesn't just mean "use we think is reasonable." In most jurisdictions the idea of fair use is to stop people using copyright law to suppress criticism. Otherwise, for instance, a journalist could never criticise a politician's speech without infringing the copyright in the quotes used. That's part of what fair use is for.
Educational use and private study are usually not fair use in the legal sense if you're not just citing small fragments of stuff, even if you will usually get away with it. The reality is that copyright law is not very well enforced, which is actually a good thing because if it was properly enforced it would prevent loads of totally okay and normal things.
But there is a difference between what you're likely to get away with, and what's actually legally enforceable.
GoBlindOrGoHome 1 points 2y ago
Well, it’s actually called Fair Dealing in Canada. But YES that is how it works. Here’s a direct quote.
“Fair Dealing is an exception in the Canadian Copyright Act that outlines the permitted unauthorized use of copyrighted materials for specific, mandated purposes. In Canada, these purposes include: research, private study, education, parody, satire, criticism, review, or news reporting.”
Like I said, I won’t speak on other areas, or any states, but here in Canada, that IS how copyright and fair use works. Thank you though.
“Fair Dealing is an exception in the Canadian Copyright Act that outlines the permitted unauthorized use of copyrighted materials for specific, mandated purposes. In Canada, these purposes include: research, private study, education, parody, satire, criticism, review, or news reporting.”
Like I said, I won’t speak on other areas, or any states, but here in Canada, that IS how copyright and fair use works. Thank you though.
bluediavolo 1 points 2y ago
If you'll also be adding your explanations, I think you're quite safe. It won't even be a straightforward reading of the book, unless someone edits the recording.
oncenightvaler 1 points 2y ago
Maybe the best way to do that is to record the book chapter by chapter, in a program called Audacity I've heard is good, or put all those chapters together in a folder on a flash drive or hard drive, that's how I would do it.
But, you and your blind friend could always see if the book is available on Audible or something like that unless you are really committed to doing it yourself which I can understand.
blind guy here who was told a few times that I would make a great narrator or voice over artist.
But, you and your blind friend could always see if the book is available on Audible or something like that unless you are really committed to doing it yourself which I can understand.
blind guy here who was told a few times that I would make a great narrator or voice over artist.
DrillInstructorJan 1 points 2y ago
Nobody here is a lawyer, but I am pretty confident that this would technically be a violation.
I'd also expect it to be really incredibly unlikely that anyone would ever go after you for it. The most plausible thing to happen is that you'd get a rude email telling you to "cease and desist" from doing it, but I would expect that to be unlikely, even if they found out. Nobody would want to seem like the bad guy in that case.
Of course you could also find that they unleash their attack lawyers at the first hint of you doing it. Nobody can say for sure. But I think it's unlikely.
I'd also expect it to be really incredibly unlikely that anyone would ever go after you for it. The most plausible thing to happen is that you'd get a rude email telling you to "cease and desist" from doing it, but I would expect that to be unlikely, even if they found out. Nobody would want to seem like the bad guy in that case.
Of course you could also find that they unleash their attack lawyers at the first hint of you doing it. Nobody can say for sure. But I think it's unlikely.
wyongriver 1 points 3y ago
In Australia there is an exemption for blind users of books for this exact scenario.
Basically (under Australian rules) the work must be for a disabled person, you cannot profit from the work, and your action must no unreasonably infringe the rights of the right holder.
Full details at:
https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1382339/03-Li.pdf
Basically (under Australian rules) the work must be for a disabled person, you cannot profit from the work, and your action must no unreasonably infringe the rights of the right holder.
Full details at:
https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1382339/03-Li.pdf
[deleted] 1 points 3y ago
[deleted]
Winnmark 1 points 3y ago
Do it. It's a victimless crime even if it were a crime.
Dollydaydream4jc 1 points 3y ago
If you're worried about it, maybe try a phone call where you can read it live (no stored recording) to him. Then there is no recording that you could "profit" from.
tubelightasks [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Did that once before but now unfortunately, our free times don't match so phone calls aren't possible.
ryan516 0 points 3y ago
It’s likely a little on the iffy side. Is your friend in the states? They may be able to access BARD or Bookshare, which distribute Audio and Braille books for free to those in the US.
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