Re: Copyright

[Elizabeth Hart <ehart@supreme.cde.ca.gov>]

In September of 1996, Clinton signed a bill that amended the Copyright Act.
 An authorized entity, which includes public and private nonprofit agencies
or organizations such as schools, libraries, training programs, book
transcribing groups, etc. may convert a book into an alternative format for
the blind and visually impaired without having to obtain permission from
the copyright holder.  Since the law refers to alternative formats, I would
assume (and I may be wrong about this) this would mean 4-track tape
recordings. These are tapes recorded at 15/16 ips vs. 1 7/8 ips, and play
one track at a time, instead of two tracks at the same time as on a stereo
tape.  You have to have a special tape player (available from the Library
of Congress, American Printing House for the Blind, and other companies) to
play these tapes.  According to the Braille Monitor (a magazine put out by
the National Federation of the Blind), all works which are reproduced or
distributed in a specialized format, including braille, audio, or digital
reproductions, must contain a statement that "Further reproduction or
distribution in a format other than a specialized format is prohibited."
According to the Library of Congress, this notice must appear both in print
and in the audio, braille or digital text itself.  Also, every reproduction
must provide identifying copyright information by saying: "Copyright,
(holder's name), (date)."

Hope this helps.

Elizabeth Hart
California School for the Blind
ehart@csb.cde.ca.gov
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Original Text
From Barb Stover <bstover@JEFFCO.K12.CO.US>, on 3/11/97 07:49 PM:
Hi, Everyone.  I have a question about copyright which came up this
evening as we were discussing books on tape.  Our special ed teachers
are looking for several titles on tape.  So far, there are a couple we
have not found in any of our catalogs.  Are we violating copyright laws
to make an in-house recording of a book, that is one of us reads it
aloud and records it?  Thanks for your help.  Barb

Barb Stover
Chatfield Senior High School
Littleton, Colorado
303-982-3640