Canada mulls blank CDR, MP3 player tax

[_Kosh_]

That title comes from an e-mail I just received from Tom's Hardware. Now let me quote what they are saying.

"The Canadian government is mulling copyright levy proposals which will see a royalty charge of CAN$1.23 imposed on each blank
CDR, and CAN$100 added to each MP3 player sold in the country. Lobbying for the changes is the Canadian Private Copying
Collective, a representative of music companies and publishers. It is pressing for new royalty lines, bringing blank CDRs and MP3
players into line with other recording media, such as audio cassettes which already carry a levy to compensate for their use in
copying music."

Paying 1.23 CDN$ on each blank CD-R? This is sick. I mainly use CD-Rs for anything other than music. I copied only one CD in my entire life and it is one I own, and I use the one copy. I will be mad if this becomes reality. These guys need to get the message that they don't own the world.

People write to these guys you voted for. ../K

[Ratchet]

Now's a good time to stock up. 100 pack spindles are going for $50 or so, 3 or 4 of them should hold you over for a bit

[**G.I.BRO**]

THis bill hasnt passed yet, if it does, it will be Jan 1st 03. NOw, when they say there going to add $1.23 to each CDR, doe this mean a pack of 50 will cost $50 more? OR, just $1.23 more? For the MP3 players I heard on the radio the other day, that MP3 players will go up about $300-400 bucks more!

[Silentst2000]

Originally posted by **G.I.BRO**
THis bill hasnt passed yet, if it does, it will be Jan 1st 03. NOw, when they say there going to add $1.23 to each CDR, doe this mean a pack of 50 will cost $50 more? OR, just $1.23 more? For the MP3 players I heard on the radio the other day, that MP3 players will go up about $300-400 bucks more!

50 bucks more.

just buy from the states...I don't think they can tax it...

AHAH I can see it now...we go up there for Drugs(prescriptions) and you come down ehre for blank media!

[**G.I.BRO**]

True, buying electronics from the U.S. means you dont pay duty on it! WHOHOOOO!!!

ITs ok, cause we'll stock up on hundreds of them before it goes through.

[Pojo]

its just a marketing ploy to get you all to stock up on worthless cdrs...

[**G.I.BRO**]

Maybe, I guess only time will tell.

[_Kosh_]

Originally posted by Tinker-box
...

50 bucks more. ...

It would seem so. ../K

[_Kosh_]

What pisses me the most is to see how the music/movie industry is maneuvering on all fronts at once attempting to win them all. At some point it becomes senseless and indefendable.

After bringing napster to court and being successful there (which I have no problem with) they attempted to basically build a monopoly for *selling* music online.

They attempted to have the hardware manufacturers put firmware changes so that digital extraction would no longer work. They are trying various schemes to make newer "CDs" (which Phillips says they aren't) that only play well in normal CD players but use Windows Media compressed files when played in a computer CD device. These CDs are supposedly uncopyable. Now they are pushing a US law for SSSCA. In Canada, CDR and MP3 player taxes.

If it becomes increasingly difficult to digitally extract stuff from original music media then quality CD copies as well as MP3 compressed copies will become impossible. I know we're not there yet, but obviously this is the goal. Why then should we have to pay these stupid taxes in addition to eventually not being able to do the damn copies, or being severely limited in the quality of the copying.

Also, I'm against putting such a high tax on CDs that can be used for other purposes than copying CDs. An audio cassette can only record sound, so it's more acceptable to put some tax on it. For CD-Rs, this is abuse, particularly as this will double their cost.

I foresee the same abuse in the future not only applying to the MP3 players but to memory modules as well. As more devices start to use them perhaps there will be a tax on the modules even if they are to be used in devices that can't play MP3s. It's not fair. Why not then have a tax on all batteries since some will power MP3 players.

What's the next step? Why not pay per play for CDs, pay per view for DVDs. That is, in addition to the high initial cost of the discs.

If and when CD ripping becomes totally impossible I predict that the taxes will remain. They'll find a twisted way to sell that to politicians. ../K

[Killdozer]

Jeez

It looks like everything is going to hell over there. IF they get away with passing this law, I think the Canadian people should raise all hell about it. That law isn't fair at all!

[**G.I.BRO**]

Agreed K.

If they want another reason for us to stop copying CD's for music, why dont hey drop them damn prices for store bought ALBUM. I mean, it costs about $15-20 bucks CDN for an album. This is RAPE. Especially when a CD only cost $1! Blah blah blah, money goes towards the group and other factions, but THERES no way that a CD should cost more than $10!

If they drop the price to an acceptable amount, this will take the bite out of alot of people who copy CD's.

Why cant they stand back and look at the REASONS WHY we are doing this, instead of adding tarifs to everything as a quick fix.

[_Kosh_]

I agree with you GI.

What I wish is that it goes to hell quickly and damn badly. People "adapt to" or shall I say "accept" small changes one on top of the other and that's how we come to tolerate insane income taxes, insane retail taxes, reductions in services and the quality of those services, more pollution, more noise, increasing rate of destruction of the environment, global climate changes, you name it. People don't notice unless it hurts really badly.

If the industry succeeds so that people are hurt badly enough we could decide to boycot buying original CDs and DVDs for at least a full year as a worldwide protest that would hopefully make the industry back off, and the governments, which are supposed to represent us, think twice next time. But I don't see this happening any time soon unless we are abused badly enough in various ways, all in a short while. I wish them the success that will be their undoing or worse.

I'm just afraid it won't be bad enough and they'll get away with it, again.

../K

[Ratchet]

Canada is pissing me off, I'm cutting the chain - anyone who wants to float around the Atlantic for a bit is welcome to come along. BYOB.

[**G.I.BRO**]

Agreed, these tiny little steps of increasing taxes and extra costs, there is less of a chance that we ( consumers ) will notice nor care. If this bill passes, then whats the next step? I mean, you htink this will be the end of it?!?!?!?! NOT!

Them grubby greedy fat bastards will keep mooching us from our money. Yet we keep falling for it.

Agreed, i can see us consumers making a bold stance in the near future. I think now would be the best time, seeing that we still have methods of grabbing free stuff.

[Aceze]

They're gonna keep taking your liberties one by one, if no-one does a damn thing about it.
Use your wallets to vote!

If a disc cant be ripped (or even played in a CDROM, which some of the newer "uncopyable" ones dont) - return the worthless pieces of plastic, and be happy without it! Dont reward corporate greed with your hard earned cash - make a point, and stop taking the abuse.

Klingon: "What's the next step? Why not pay per play for CDs, pay per view for DVDs. That is, in addition to the high initial cost of the discs."

Guess what Kling, it's been done, and will be done again - remember DIVX for pay per view DVDs? Eventhough DIVX died, the pay-for-a-limited time DVDs are coming back. In an effort to drive rental places out of business, the largest studios are going to make view once, or limited view DVDs. Testing will be starting this year, if I remember correctly. However, at the very least, they're supposed to be MUCH cheaper (like on the order of the price of a rental).

Aceze

[_Kosh_]

hehe that was more a wild guess than anything else on my part!

I fear that eventually everyone will need a cell phone with costly internet access just to pay for the next tune they wish to enjoy, even from the original media. What a good way to spoil the fun!

Regards, ../K