Canadian CD levy hike?
p2pnet.net News:- One of the reasons Canadians can freely share music online is because there’s a levy of 21 cents on blank data CDs, and of 77 cents on blank audio CD-Rs and CD-RWs which, in effect, means copyright owners get paid whether their files end up on p2pnetworks, or not.
The money is collected by the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC), established in 1999, which then distributes it to record companies, producers and other copyright owners.
But, says Jack Kapica in a Globe & Mail article here, these levies could double if Canada ratifies an international copyright treaty.
"In a submission to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Coalition for Fair Digital Access said that increases of up to 100 per cent on the levies are possible if Canada goes ahead with ratification of the World Intellectual Property Organization treaties," says Kapica’s story.
On its web site, the CCFDA says in a report issued last year, the Canadian government acknowledged that the private copying system may not be compliant with the WIPO Internet treaties.
"In order to ensure that it is compliant, Canada would have to extend the benefits of the levy to sound recordings and performers from all countries that have ratified the treaty.
"The cost of doing so would dramatically increase the levy, thereby resulting in even higher prices for blank CDs for Canadians."
Apple Canada and Sony Canada are both members and you’d think they’d be delighted by the possibility of more money coming in from increased levies.
But the other members are Costco, Dell Canada, Future Shop/Best Buy Canada, Hewlett-Packard Canada, InterTAN/Radio Shack, Intel Canada, London Drugs, Micron, Retail Council of Canada, STAPLES Business Depot and Wal-Mart Canada.
Enough said.
April 23rd, 2004 at 8:07 pm
Well, if this happens it bloody well better still be legal to d/l in the name of fair use. And as a result be able to store files withiin a shared folder without being subject to big music tyranny.
I have this feeling that we’ll get screwed, have to pay higher levies and lose fair use – well if the corps have their way that is.
Cripes, one blank CD’s cost will be mostly levy, ahhhhh the typical Cdn way, just like gas, liqour etc etc etc
Now they’ll take 45% of my salary and then nail me again later, and again, and again….
What is it again, we’re the 2nd highest taxed nation in the world? Seems like the liberals want to be number one in something – but it aint the polls.
April 23rd, 2004 at 10:02 pm
I’m also disgusted by this and from this point on I will no longer purchase music CD’s. File sharers like me have been branded thieves by the recording industry, ignorant artists and politicians. I have been downloading mp3’s from P2P networks since Napster came out. I have since used several other P2P networks. I have also continued to purchase music CD’s.
Since my opinion doesn’t seem to matter to the Canadian government, even though I am a Canadian citizen I will vote with my wallet and stop buying music CD’s. This way, the record industry will not make any more money from me.
I have voted for the Federal Liberal party in the last 2 elections but in the upcoming election I will vote for the NDP. They seem to be the only major party that does not oppose P2P. The Liberals and Conservatives both cater to the corporations and they obviously do not care about people like me.
I am a proud Canadian but people like Paul Martin and the leader of the conservative party almost make me feel ashamed of being a Canadian citizen.
The Canadian government allows innocent seals to be brutally murdered and they ignore the violent crime that goes on in major cities, but they have made “illegal file sharing” a priority.
This is not right and something has to change. This has nothing to do with getting music for “free”. This has to do with priorities.
April 25th, 2004 at 11:58 am
“The Canadian government allows innocent seals to be brutally murdered and they ignore the violent crime that goes on in major cities, but they have made “illegal file sharing” a priority.”
like to add, health care is going down the tubes, homelessness is on the rise, we are investing less and less in our military and now have the americans “protecting” us … I agree far more more important issues than p2p.
I’m in total agreement, get rid of the levy if our fair use rights are taken away in the soon to be new WIPO based copyright law. I wont stop purchasing cdr’s … I just wont be buying them in canada anymore