Why are Facebook, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle Backing the Fight *Against* the Blind?
One of the more disgraceful examples of
the inherent selfishness of the copyright world is that it has
consistently blocked a global treaty that would make it easier for
the blind and visually impaired to read books in formats like Braille.
The thinking seems to be that it's more important to preserve
copyright "inviolate" than to alleviate the suffering of
hundreds of millions of people around the world.
You can read the disgusting details of
how publishers have fought against the "proposed international
instrument on limitations and exceptions for persons with print
disabilities" for *30* years in an column I wrote back in 2011.
Amazingly, things have got even worse
since then, with most of the fault lying at the feet of the US and
EU, which are more concerned about placating their publishing
industries than helping the poor and disabled around the world. And
just when you think it can't get any worse, it does:
In a May 14, 2013 letter signed by Markus Beyrer, a Brussels based corporate lobby group known as Business Europe has sent a letter to Commissioners Michel Barnier and Karel De Gucht opposing the WIPO treaty on copyright exceptions for persons who are blind or have other disabilities. .... Business Europe describes itself as "the main horizontal business organization at the EU level." It represents 41 national business organizations in 35 European countries, claiming to promote "growth and competitiveness in Europe." Below is a list of the 55 member companies on its Corporate Advisory and Support Group, which describes its main constituency.
What readers of this blog may find most
of interest are the names of the companies from the computer industry
that are supporting this move to deny the blind even the smallest
solace. Here are the main ones:
IBM
Microsoft
Oracle
These are companies that often like to
present themselves as decent and caring organizations whose pursuit
of profit is balanced by a deep respect for fundamental human values.
But their support here for the Business Europe lobbying group and
its attempt to make it even harder for the blind to gain belatedly
basic human rights like being able to read books – something that
most of us are able to take for granted - is simply unacceptable.
I therefore call on Facebook, IBM,
Microsoft and Oracle to dissociate themselves from the Business
Europe group and its attempt to keep blind people in their darkness.
If those companies refuse, we will know that their claims to any kind
of humanity are shams, and should treat them with the contempt that
they deserve.
Posts
