Canada to Raise Tariffs on Recordable Media

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.

Comments

Re:Another case of Too Much Government

[DarkZero]

It appears that Microsoft is simply too big and that that is why people don't like them. However, the case against Microsoft really isn't about whether or not they're too big or whether or not they have a monopoly. The crux of it is things like the fact that they TRIED to have a monopoly by telling PC makers that they either had to sign a deal with Microsoft that they would never use any other OS in ANYTHING THEY MADE or not use any Microsoft products at all. That's a monopolist practice that falls under anti-trust law and Microsoft has also done several other things that fall under those laws.

Unfortunately, most people think that the case is simply about Microsoft being too big because the media, even the technologically inclined side of the media, is grossly irrepresenting this story.