I think, this may not be so bad, as you guys see it. Here in Hungary this "levy" is already introduced, and we are paying it for a few years now on every blank media, even on memory cards! But in exchange, it is _not_ illegal to download music (donno about movies). It is perfectly legal for me to download as much music as I like, more so, it is even legal for me to share my music. I think it is a good compromise, the way "culture" should be handled.
As for distribution. There is of course an organization much like RIAA, who would like to keep the levy, but take away the freedom to download/share at the same time. They are also the ones handling the money from this levy. They basically calculate a number for _registered_ artists based on CD sales, number of gigs, exposure in media, etc, and distribute the money according to this number. Of course, the ones who get the money this way, are the ones marketed to death by this organization themselves... Local independent musicians wouldn't get anything this way, even if they registered (which itself costs some money).
We consider ourselves more like Central Europe, than Eastern Europe. Although we were on the east side of the "iron curtain" separating east and west, we have Central European Time.... That ought to mean something.
Ohh.. and did you know that the M0, that motorway the bridge is for, is supposed to be finished a long time ago. One reason why it is lagging behind, because there is a single man (who is a self-proclaimed "green" enthusiast) is constantly suing the motorway builders, which costs the building millions of dollars, as they have to wait for the courts to decide. He is claiming that the motorway would run too close to a city near Budapest, where he lives. Fact is, because the motorway is not ready all traffic now runs through that city, causing many accidents and deaths... Well, we could name the bridge after this man, I'm sure he would be honored..
Robert. Ps.: Yeah, I'm getting the Hungary-hungry joke, but it's really getting annoying...
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I think, this may not be so bad, as you guys see it. Here in Hungary
this "levy" is already introduced, and we are paying it for a few years now on every blank media,
even on memory cards! But in exchange, it is _not_ illegal to download music (donno about movies).
It is perfectly legal for me to download as much music as I like, more so, it is even legal for me
to share my music. I think it is a good compromise, the way "culture" should be handled.
As for distribution. There is of course an organization much like RIAA, who would like to keep
the levy, but take away the freedom to download/share at the same time. They are also the ones
handling the money from this levy. They basically calculate a number for _registered_ artists
based on CD sales, number of gigs, exposure in media, etc, and distribute the money according to
this number. Of course, the ones who get the money this way, are the ones marketed to death by this
organization themselves... Local independent musicians wouldn't get anything this way,
even if they registered (which itself costs some money).
Speaking of facts...
We consider ourselves more like Central Europe, than Eastern Europe. Although we were on the east side of the "iron curtain" separating east and west, we have Central European Time.... That ought to mean something.
Ohh.. and did you know that the M0, that motorway the bridge is for, is supposed to be finished a long time ago. One reason why it is lagging behind, because there is a single man (who is a self-proclaimed "green" enthusiast) is constantly suing the motorway builders, which costs the building millions of dollars, as they have to wait for the courts to decide. He is claiming that the motorway would run too close to a city near Budapest, where he lives. Fact is, because the motorway is not ready all traffic now runs through that city, causing many accidents and deaths... Well, we could name the bridge after this man, I'm sure he would be honored..
Robert.
Ps.: Yeah, I'm getting the Hungary-hungry joke, but it's really getting annoying...