Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
Well, considering that paying that "tax" on cassettes, VCR tapes, blank CDs, etc, is exactly what we have been doing for years, and that no one who is aware of it has been particularly troubled or inconvenienced by the practice... I don't see any reason why the practice cannot continue with MP3s and other downloaded works. It remains about as invisible a method of compensation that there is, and it is a proven success. Granted, it's a lot easier getting that compensation to a handful of corporations, as opposed to individual artists, but that could be worked out (somehow)...
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As Scooby Doo would say "Huh?"
The type of tax that you're describing is a very sore point with me. I've written to my MP to complain about it and I've never done that before. I don't pirate books or music but if I buy blank CD's and DVD's to backup data on my computer I have to pay a tax to support artists because I "might" copy pirated music to them? There is nothing fair about this in my view and it's an example of special interest lobby groups at their worst.
We had such a tax on MP3 players in Canada and Apple took it to court and won the case to have it removed. Of course I didn't get an automatic refund but at least when I bought my latest iPod I didn't have to pay it again.