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Canada to Raise Tariffs on Recordable Media

Posted by michael on from the we'll-be-having-nunavut dept.

Joel Ironstone writes: "A new Canadian levy will be introduced in 2003 on all recordable media (pdf). The magnitude of these tariffs is staggering: $1.23 for all CD-RW's, $2.27 on all DVD-R's, and get this: $21 for each gigabyte of storage on portable MP3 players. That's an extra 160 dollars for a Nomad." Like in the U.S., this tax is collected and given directly to the record industry, a governmental subsidy for no apparent societal benefit.

7 of 759 comments (clear)

  1. I see a market in smuggling MP3 players. by w3woody · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You realize there will be a real market in smuggling MP3 players. And will Canada apply this tax to hard disks which could be added later to an MP3 player?

  2. Re:One interesting thing about who gets the money. by phunhippy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Somehow I doubt that Bryan Adams, or for that matter any artist, will ever see a single red cent of the money collected from these taxes. Its the record labels that get the money, and its the record labels that will keep the money.

    Hehehe... you mean you don't trust the record labels to distribute this new source of income derived from the work of artists back to the actual artists!!! shame on you! ;)

  3. Re:It already is by thogard · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What would happen if a bunch of Linux coders from Canada sued the goverment agency asking for their cut?

  4. Don't laugh by jeti · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't know if you're aware of this, but you quoted
    the license terms for Adobe ebooks quite precisely:

    No printing is permitted on this book.
    This book cannot be given to someone else.
    This book cannot be read aloud.

    These are actual terms in the license for the ebook version
    of 'Alice in Wonderland'. This is even more strange because
    the original text is by now in the public domain.
    You can get a free, legal copy at Project Gutenberg.
    It has even been suggested that the text of the ebook version was
    actually taken from the Gutenberg archives.

    Here's an article that a quick search retrieved.

  5. A tarif on media is NOT legit by SomethingOrOther · · Score: 5, Interesting

    tarrif on media may be legit

    Oh no it 'aint!
    I use CD's solely to make HD backups and blank casstte tapes solely to record myself playing the gutair!

    Or are we now suddenly all guilty of piracy and have to prove our inocence?

    --
    Anyone quoted by a reporter knows how little they understand
    Don't believe what you read is the truth.
  6. Look at the loophole! by eldurbarn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This tarrif is only proposed on media that has never had sound affixed to. For the re-recordable media (such as CD-RW, flash memory, etc.) the solution would be simple: affix sound. Any sound. A simple "beep" will do.

    If the thing already has sound on it when it crosses the border into Canada, no tarrif can be levied. The user may then choose to keep or erase the "beep" that came with it.

    (Standard IANAL disclaimer applies)

    --
    -Eldurbarn
  7. Hack for mp-3 players by alexjohns · · Score: 3, Interesting
    $21 per gigabyte of storage on mp3 players? Well, you can buy a roopaq without a hard disk, then buy the hard disk separately. Hard for Fujitsu or IBM to know you're going to be putting it in an MP3 player. I would imagine if something similar passes in the US, it won't be long before most MP3 players come without built-in storage. You'll just buy flash cards or hard disks separately.

    There's always a way around the draconian measures these idiots come up with. I'm already a criminal, (speeding, jaywalking, ripping tags off mattresses, driving after having a beer with dinner, taping NFL broadcasts without express written permission, etc.) what's one more illegal act?