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In the interests of providing a little more context, here's the slashdot history of the recordable media levy:

• 2001: Canadian Copyright Board Quadruples Levies on BlankMedia
• 2000: New Tax in Canada on Blank Recordable Media
• 2000: Canadian Recording Industry Wants CD Levy Raised
• 1999: Canadian CD Levy Announced
• 1999: Canada Taxing Blank CDs?
• 1998: Canada to imposing Taxes on Blank CDs?

I remember that even before the first levy was introduced, many retailers did some serious gouging with the price of their blank CDs. I'd expect the same behaviour with this increase.

As other people have pointed out, this is Canada, so the RIAA is not involved. Instead the levy is collected by an oganization called CPCC (Canadian Private Copying Collective) which is just a collections umbrella for SOCAN (who apparently feel that they know "what's right for music") and some similar organizations.

Background Music: 10.96 per square foot

Marching Bands: $8.40 each band, minimum fee of $31.13 per day

Receptions (ie: weddings): Without Dancing: $28.75. With Dancing: $57.55.

Like, what fucking right do they have to charge me $30 more if I allow people to dance to music at my wedding? How can this extra fee be justified in relation to reimbursing artists who made the music? Are we supposed to pay different amounts depending on how much the people enjoy the music? This is an ethically repugnant scam of the highest degree and the vast majority of people just tow the line and pay it.

a quibble. SOCAN is not actually the Canadian version of the RIAA. It's a copyright collective that represents artists, and as such is the Canadian version of ASCAP and BMI.

also, the decision by the Copyright Board is currently on appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal, and doesn't specify any actual ISP tax. that is, it's just a ruling on who would be liable in the case of copyright infringement on the 'net, rather than something like the CDR tax.

note for the Adobaphobes. the Copyright Board seems to have gone Acrobat-happy. on the flip side, they're running Apache. :)

The Canadian equivalent of RIAA is called SOCAN. They are *much* more powerful than Americal RIAA (in terms of how they screw over the poppulace).

• SOCAN is allowed to charge "tarrifs" for the use of music. For example, as many people have mentioned there's a tarrif on CDR Media. Most People also realize that radio stations and broadcasters pay a tarrif. What most people probably don't know, there is a tarrif on any and all public performance of music based on square footage. If you hire a local musician or music group to play for your business or event, over and above paying the musician, you are also supposed to pay a SOCAN tarrif. This is the same for live performance as pre-recorded (and purchased) music. I have a friend who owns a used clothing store. There is also a small section of used CD's. (about 100 of them.). She received a threatening letter from SOCAN that said she would have to register and pay per square footage for the 'right' to play music in her store. If she didn't do so voluntarily, they had the right to retroactively charge them for the past 5 years. Someone else who's received this letter. Business also have to pay a tariff for playing music on the phone system when they put people on hold.

• SOCAN has so far been able to chill any criticism of their activities with their small army of lawyers. Many web pages criticizing SOCAN have been taken down. (I can't find any links to back this up anymore. Do a search of RIAA, then do a search on SOCAN, and come to your own conclusions. People never say anything bad about SOCAN. Kind of strange given human nature to complain, isn't it?)

One of the reasons these activities have not caused as much noise as RIAA activities is because SOCAN is a "non-profit" organization who's purpose is to collect money on behalf of musician. Never mind than SOCAN is founded and operated by musicians (who give themselves a pretty hefty wage for this service they provide to other fellow musicians.) I have to admit, it's an ingenious scam. Unlike RIAA, however, you can't say that SOCAN screws both consumers *and* musicians.

In Conclusion, I think Canada has a long history of letting government roll over their rights and "take care" of them. For example, one of the largest controversies of a recent election was a proposed plan to introduce a 2 tier health care system. This would mean that if I was unhappy with the government funded health care, I would be able to buy my own at a private clinic / hospital. As it stands, many patients who need tests / surgery on a potentially emergency basis have to either wait three months or go abroad for health care. The difference between here and the US is that in Canada, it all happens quietly without much resistance.

Yes, I remember that well. I'm pretty sure it was by a Winnipeg native composer by the name of Victor Davies. He also did a symphony using car horns, which I saw performed on TV once. Very well done, very musical.

A small description of that concert is available here.

Victor Davies' website is at http://www.goodmedia.com/vdavies/. I recommend you check some of his music out. He is a phenominal composer.