Re: Freedom Scientific, Inc. Asked to Cease Lawsuit Against Serotek Corporation

  • From: "Darrell Shandrow" <nu7i@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 15:46:03 -0700

Hi Benjamin,

I would also equally submit that Freedom Scientific's complaint is extremely 
vague about the description of the products involved.

Please everyone note that I took it upon myself to convert, reformat and 
make available the entire text of the 11 page complaint to the blind 
community to help facilitate initial research on this matter.


Darrell Shandrow - Accessibility Evangelist
Visit http://www.SaveSerotek.org and ask Freedom Scientific to stop suing!
Information should be accessible to us without need of translation by 
another person.
Blind Access Journal blog and podcast: http://www.blindaccessjournal.com
Check out high quality telecommunications services at http://ld.net/?nu7i
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis" <bhawkeslewis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: Freedom Scientific, Inc. Asked to Cease Lawsuit Against Serotek 
Corporation


Hi guys. Many apologies for introducing confusion on this matter. Just
to be straightforward, I haven't had personal experience of FreedomBox;
all I have to go on is the less than clear descriptions of it on
Serotek's website. What should and shouldn't be classed as a screen
reader is a bit debatable. e.g. Sometimes Home Page Reader was called a
"screen reader" even though, since it only facilitated internet access,
it might have been more accurately called a talking browser. As opposed
to the FreedomBox Network (which is the internet service) or FreedomBox
System Access (which is a general Windows screen reader faciliating
access to Microsoft Word, Adobe Reader, Outlook Express and so on), it
seems the FreedomBox, is a talking browser used in combination with
specialized hardware. Or, as Serotek describe it:

"The FreedomBox is a voice-controlled Internet access device. It
combines the power of a top-of-the-line audio output interface with high
quality voice recognition to give users the power to control a properly
equipped personal computer using nothing but voice commands."

http://freedombox.info/about.html

Even more confusingly, given this emphasis on voice control, the manual
recommends using the keyboard instead:

http://help.myfreedombox.com/TalkingTips.html

Regardless of this somewhat arcane legal question of whether they are
trading off Freedom Scientific's name, Serotek could certainly do better
at explaining their own product line.

--
Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis

Jim Grimsby Jr. wrote:
> I know they make a screen reader it is not called freedom box though. it 
> is
> called system access. Freedom  box I already explained.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Sean McMahon
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 11:28 AM
> To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Freedom Scientific, Inc. Asked to Cease Lawsuit Against 
> Serotek
> Corporation
>
>
> No, it's certainly a screen reader, you plug it in to the usb port, give 
> it
> permission through your firewall and away it goes.  btw reguarding your 
> last
>
> post,I think the fraze give a man a fish and hell be asking for fish from
> you
> everyday, teach a man to fish, and he'll fish every day applies here.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim Grimsby Jr." <jimgrims@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 5:59 PM
> Subject: RE: Freedom Scientific, Inc. Asked to Cease Lawsuit Against 
> Serotek
>
> Corporation
>
>
> They have never maid a rival screen reader called freedom  box.  Freedom 
> box
> is the name of there internet serves provider,  and the name of the 
> internet
> software and appliance  by the same name.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis
> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 4:07 PM
> To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Freedom Scientific, Inc. Asked to Cease Lawsuit Against 
> Serotek
> Corporation
>
>
> The other company, Serotek, have long made a rival screen reader, Freedom
> Box:
>
> http://www.freedombox.info/
>
> The text of Freedom Scientific's complaint has been made available at:
>
> http://www.shandrow.com/fs_vs_serotek_complaint.txt
>
> Basically, they're claiming that the word "Freedom" in "Freedom Box" could
> lead people to believe the product is created by Freedom Scientific.
>
> --
> Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis
>
> John Ramsey wrote:
>> What is the lawsuit about? I have no idea who this other company is or
>> what they provide, so I am totally lost. Take care, John
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
>> Behalf Of Darrell Shandrow
>> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 5:20 PM
>> To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; jfw-employment@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
>> blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: Freedom Scientific, Inc. Asked to Cease Lawsuit Against
>> Serotek Corporation
>>
>>
>> Freedom Scientific, Inc. Asked to Cease Lawsuit Against Serotek
>> Corporation
>>
>>
>>
>> An online petition is being circulated to everyone in the assistive
>> technology industry and the blind community for the purpose of
>> collecting signatures showing support for the concept that Freedom
>> Scientific, Inc. should cease their lawsuit against Serotek
>> Corporation.
>>
>>
>>
>> May 20, 2007 -- We at the Blind Access Journal call upon everyone in
>> the assistive technology industry and the blind community to sign the
>> Save Serotek Petition found at http://www.saveserotek.org asking
>> Freedom Scientific, Inc. to cease their trademark infringement lawsuit
>> against Serotek Corporation. After allowing sufficient time to collect
>> a significant number of signatures, the signed petition will be sent,
>> via certified mail, to the Board of Directors of Freedom Scientific,
>> Inc. We invite redistribution of this press release to all interested
>> parties, post it on blogs, discuss it on podcasts and insure its wide
>> distribution to all independent and mainstream media outlets. E-mail,
>> MSN Windows Live Messenger, Skype and telephone queries are welcome
>> from all interested in this vital effort. We thank you in advance for
>> your support.
>>
>>
>>
>> Darrell Shandrow - Accessibility Evangelist
>> Visit http://www.SaveSerotek.org and ask Freedom Scientific to stop
>> suing! Information should be accessible to us without need of
>> translation by another person. Blind Access Journal blog and podcast:
>> http://www.blindaccessjournal.com Check out high quality
>> telecommunications services at http://ld.net/?nu7i
>>
>>
>
> --
> JFW related links:
> JFW homepage: http://www.freedomscientific.com/
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> http://lists.the-jdh.com/listinfo.cgi/scriptography-the-jdh.com
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--
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JFW List instructions:
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--
JFW related links:
JFW homepage: http://www.freedomscientific.com/
Scripting mailing list: 
http://lists.the-jdh.com/listinfo.cgi/scriptography-the-jdh.com
JFW List instructions:
To post a message to the list, send it to jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send a message to 
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