Copyright Information

Bookshare is an online library that provides accessible ebooks to people with print disabilities. Bookshare meets the requirements of the Chafee Amendment, which permits an authorized entity like Benetech to make books available to people with print disabilities provided that:

Copies may not be reproduced or distributed in a format other than a specialized format exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.
Must bear a notice that any further reproduction or distribution in a format other than a specialized format is an infringement.
Must include a copyright notice identifying the copyright owner and the date of the original publication.
"Specialized formats" means Braille, audio, or digital text which is exclusively intended for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.

Benetech’s authorized entity status has been confirmed by the U.S. Department of Education, when it has made major grant awards for Bookshare, which may only be made to an authorized entity.

You can read the full text of the Chafee Amendment in the next section. In addition to books made available under the Chafee Amendment, some publishers and authors have provided permission for books and other publications to be made available in accessible digital formats to individuals with qualifying disabilities in the U.S. and many other countries around the world.