Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

New Tax in Canada on Blank Recordable Media

Posted by michael on from the pay-the-piper dept.

Adrift writes ""Following the recently concluded public review of the current private copying levies, the Copyright Board announced today that it is setting new levies on blank audio recording media. Effective January 1, 2001, private copying levies will increase to 29 on audio cassette tapes of 40 minutes or longer (remaining zero for tapes of shorter length), 21 on CD-Rs and CD-RWs and 77 on CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and MiniDiscs. Manufacturers and importers of blank audio recording media are required to pay these levies to the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) when these media are sold in Canada." The Copyright Board's announcement is here."

22 comments

  1. Yawn. by funkman · · Score: 1

    Been there and seen that on ./ already.

    1. Re:Yawn. by Masem · · Score: 2

      This might be a bit outdated, but the numbers can only go the other way: the American Tax Reform site states that in 1999 75% of the cost of cigarettes are collected as taxes. While the taxes are generally considered to be sin taxes, the money is tagged to go back to medical purposes.

      --
      "Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
      "I can see my house from here!" - ST:
    2. Re:Yawn. by Masem · · Score: 2
      Sure, it's been there, done that, but this is another increase in the taxes on the blank media. As the cost of aquiring media like CD-Rs drops easily below a US$1, the tax is becoming a significant cost of the media for Canada. It's similar to cigarettes in the states - usually more than 50% of the cost of a pack of cigarettes is in taxes that go back to pay for medical care and lung cancer research. Especially as the *average* consumer will start using CD-R's more and more for porting their digital music around, this tax will become more noticable.

      --
      "Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
      "I can see my house from here!" - ST:
    3. Re:Yawn. by Detritus · · Score: 2
      While the taxes are generally considered to be sin taxes, the money is tagged to go back to medical purposes.

      The money goes into the general fund, like any other tax. It is not earmarked for medical research or any other activity that might benefit smokers.

      --
      Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
    4. Re:Yawn. by Chagrin · · Score: 1
      • usually more than 50% of the cost of a pack of cigarettes is in taxes that go back to pay for medical care and lung cancer research

      Not an attack or anything, but do you have any information or links to back this up? I'm quite skeptical -- to me it always just looked like a simple sin tax.

      --

      I/O Error G-17: Aborting Installation

  2. International Orders? by mat+catastrophe · · Score: 2
    How will this affect Canadians ordering blank media from the states? How would a tax like this be applied across international borders?

    --
    sig not found
    1. Re:International Orders? by eXtro · · Score: 1

      When you order stuff online its typically either held at the border or shipped along with a customs invoice for the duties, tarrifs and tax. At least this is always what happened to me when ordering stuff online.

      --

      Chris Kuivenhoven is a thief, beware

  3. Re:Well, if the people have to pay the tax... by eXtro · · Score: 3

    More justly, since the average user is being penalized a priori for copywrite violation, this should be considered an approval to copy to your hearts desire. I've always been a proponent of paying for what you use, but if corporations are going to keep lobbying for kick backs for assumed piracy then I'm going to change my tune. I'll pay for what I use from companies I support.

    --

    Chris Kuivenhoven is a thief, beware

  4. But not on hard disks? by evanbd · · Score: 2

    I don't know about other people, but I use CDRs for games and other software mostly, but NOT audio. I have all my audio on my hard disk, in MP3 form. seems like I shouldn't have to pay for others transgressions. Ah well. at least I live in the US. Oh, wait...

  5. Well, if the people have to pay the tax... by LocalH · · Score: 3

    ...then the studios should have to pay this tax on all their CD's too. Otherwise, it stifles competition because independent artists have to pay the RECORDING INDUSTRY to create independent content.

    Oh wait. That's the way they want it.
    _______
    Scott Jones
    Newscast Director / ABC19 WKPT

    --
    FC Closer
    1. Re:Well, if the people have to pay the tax... by rakslice · · Score: 1

      But, obviously independent artists fall in the "music industry" category and are eligible for the zero-rating. Or, am I missing something?

    2. Re:Well, if the people have to pay the tax... by dadragon · · Score: 1

      In Canada you *CAN* copy Audio for private use. I can borrow a friends CD and copy it, as long as I don't sell the CD (For more than I paid for the blank) it is perfectly legal. This is so in Germany and also a few other countries, it just seems to be a hard concept for the Americans to grasp.

      --
      God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
  6. it's cheap by Frederic54 · · Score: 1

    actually, I can find blank CD in Dollarama, for 1$, or at Future Shop, 10 memorez CD for 8.99$ (all canadian dollars), so I'll buy some before the taxe
    --

    --
    "Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
    1. Re:it's cheap by Keith+McNally · · Score: 1

      The "Canadian Private Copying Collective"... can you believe that? This country is turning into a socialist nightmare, I tell you...

      --
      Smile - A serialized high school drama by Keith M
  7. Re:Taxable Media by aoeuid · · Score: 1

    If you had read that link just posted by someone just above, you'd realize that it is legal to copy music recordings you do not own for PERSONAL USE anyway. Here in Canada, at least...

  8. Nope. by rakslice · · Score: 3

    This levy only applies to blank recording media resold in Canada, and is remitted by resellers. This means that (a) the first reseller is usually a wholesaler/distributor (except when a retailer imports the media directly), (b) the levy is never collected by a customs agency, (c) you never have to remit the levy for media imported that will not be resold (while blank).

    The limitation to blank recording media is interesting: If I import CD-RWs, and then resell them already recorded with something, it would seem that I don't have to pay the levy. =)

    (See Neil Herber's FAQ on the levy for plenty more useful information.)

  9. Small price that I'm quite willing to pay... by ClassicG · · Score: 2
    ..for the legal right to copy CDs, even those I -DON'T- actually own. IIRC, it is completely legal here in Canada to borrow someone else's music CDs and make a copy of them for one's own personal use, though only if the person actually making the copy is the final user. It isn't legal to make copies of your CDs for friends, they have to make the copies themselves.

    An aside - if I understand correctly, because of this, Napster is arguably legal here, at least to download from.

    A FAQ on the levy is available at http://neil.eton.ca/copylevy.shtml which includes this very interesting bit:
    Can I now legally copy audio CDs for my friends?

    The simple answer is NO, but you can legally copy your friend's audio CD for YOUR OWN use.
    --
    I game, therefore I am...
  10. Re:big brother by dadragon · · Score: 1

    There is no MPAA in Canada. Canada is NOT America, therefore the Music Publishers Association of America does not exist here.

    --
    God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
  11. CD-R vs. CD-R audio?! by ErfC · · Score: 1

    What's the difference between a CD-R and a CD-R Audio? How does the disk (or the retailer) know what format you're going to give it until you burn it? (I've already burned CD-R's that play in my stereo, and identical ones that work in my computer...)

    -Erf C.

    --

    -Erf C.
    Cthulu always calls collect...

    1. Re:CD-R vs. CD-R audio?! by shepd · · Score: 1

      Standalone audio CD-Recorders are required to record on CDR-Audio. This is because these discs include "artist compensation" in their price, and therefore you have already paid for the "privelege" of making a copy.

      I beleive this information is pre-burned somewhere near the hub of the CDR-Audio disc (but am probably wrong).

      CD-Recorders relying on a computer for control are primarialy to be used for data, and therefore no "artist compensation" is necessary. That's why computer CD-Recorders will burn on any CDR. No, I don't get why they will still burn Audio CDs without checks, but I sure ain't gonna complain. :-)

      Here in Canada the price difference between CDR-Audio and plain CDR is extreme (or was). Since DR-Audio isn't popular the biggest packs I usually find are 3 packs. These go for about $8 CAN ($2.6 per disc!) . 100 spindles of "normal" CDs can be gotten for $40-50 ($0.4 - $0.5 per disc).

      Heh... I'm off to www.futureshop.ca to see if I can get any CDRs before this levy makes its way into their prices.

      --
      If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
    2. Re:CD-R vs. CD-R audio?! by PooF · · Score: 2

      The difference: Price and tax. Sometimes CD-R Audio when used in those cd copiers (the music only ones) will set a flag that will prevent a copy from being made of a copy. Only in the audio-copiers though.

      For computer users they are they same but cost more :-)

      --
      From: Aaron "PooF" Matthews

  12. Look on the brightside by Cyberllama · · Score: 1

    21 cents Canadian is nothing.... Like what? 2 cents American :), NO big deal :)