A Note from the Editor

A Note from the Editor

A Special Note from the Editor

Barbara Pierce

Occasionally in the blindness

field a circumstance so extraordinary arises that it demands unusual treatment

in these pages. The recent U.S. District Court decision in the Eastern District

of New York in the case of Independent Living Aids versus Maxi-Aids is such

an instance. The entire March issue is, therefore, devoted to telling the story

of this case as it unfolded. We have tried to do so chiefly in the actual words

of the trial transcript prepared by the court reporter, so to the lay mind

the narrative line may sometimes seem somewhat repetitive and slow-moving.

But it seemed important as far as possible to let the principals tell the story

in their own words and to let their actions, as described in their testimony,

speak for themselves. It is mportant, however, to remember that the case is

by no means over. As the counsel for the defense,

Mark Mulholland, Esq., told me in no uncertain terms, this decision was only

the first round in this case. He explained that in copyright infringement cases

the initial damages established by the jury are quite likely—more likely

than in almost any other type of case—to be reduced by later court action.

Nonetheless, for four weeks people testified

in open court about the actions of the defendants and the plaintiff and the

policies of the two companies. After hearing the evidence and spending time

carefully considering what they had heard, a jury came to certain conclusions.

That story and those conclusions have implications and repercussions for the

entire blindness field. For this reason we have devoted the March issue to

an account of this trial and only this trial. The April issue will be published

soon and will contain the convention information for which everyone has been

eagerly waiting. Meanwhile we commend to your attention the important matter

of Independent Living Aids and Marvin Sandler versus Maxi-Aids and the Zaretsky

family. Read carefully and ponder.