[hugh]

The Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC), an industry trade group that represents the interests of Canadian songwriters, recording artists, music publishers and record companies has asked the Copyright Board of Canada to charge a tax of 50 cents to $3 on flash memory cards sold in Canada.

Here we go again!

(search the forum on CPCC for all the times this group has pushed this and other taxes this is a good thread for those interested in some of the history and feedback)

 

[DTVGuy]

This article just tells me how out of touch the CPCC is when it comes to technology. I think about the only item I've ever owned in the past that played off of any type of flash card was a BlackBerry that took microSD, and even then I used my iPod for music. Eventually, I just cut my losses and bought an iPhone.

I've used compact flash for many things, the least of all, for music.

 

[Deckster]

I often use flash memory for transporting music, but never for storage.

My Dodge has a built in hard drive, I wonder when are they going to try to tax that. The new stereos that Dodge offers has an SD card slot for music storage and playback.

 

[JamesK]

I have music on a card in my smart phone. However, I already paid for that music when I bought the CD or downloaded from HMV. They now want me to pay again for something I've already paid for. On the other hand, the memory cards used in my cameras contain only photos I've taken. Why should I pay a levy for those cards?

 

[Jake]

So basically $3. Since I doubt anyone is going out and buying less than 8GB flash these days.

 

[timlocke]

The same old argument as used for CDs somebody should talk calmly, firmly and publicly to these people and tell them that we the Great Canadian Public just won't go for any of these schemes and if they really, really want us to buy our media in the USA they could just ask politely.

 

[james99]

Perhaps I should charge them a copyright fee for every time I take a photo with my DSLR?

 

[Costa]

I have a 16gb microSD, and some other smaller sizes. For work, we use them for picture storage, and I use my 16gb for videos. We take thousands of photos. I stream internet radio, and do not care to carry mp3's around what so ever.

These crooks have nothing better to do than research new taxes.

 

[GusX]

My blood boils each time I read their web pages ...

http://www.cpcc.ca/english/index.htm

http://www.savethelevy.ca/en

WARNING ... reading the following snippet may bring tears to your eyes ... its really a sad story that their income is diminishing.

The private copying levy is an important source of income for Canada's songwriters, recording artists, music publishers and record companies. And this income is in jeopardy.

The Copyright Act is out of date. Last revised in 1997, it specifies that the private copying levy, which provides compensation to rights holders when Canadians make copies of their work for personal use, only applies to blank audio recording media, like CD-Rs.

It's 2011 ... who uses CD-Rs to copy music anymore? MP3 players like the iPod have become the new standard for copying music. It is imperative that the Copyright Act be updated to reflect the reality of private copying in the digital age. Otherwise, the funds distributed annually to music rights holders through the private copying levy will quickly disappear.

It's 2011 ... who uses CD-Rs to copy music anymore?

Cool ... lets take away the levy from CD-Rs due to their own admission.

 

[MarcP]

So they just want free money. Pure and simple.

 

[Deckster]

I know a lot of musicians who work hard producing their own music, and working bars, restaurants, and clubs at least 5 nights a week. None of them have ever received a cheque from the CPCC, where exactly is this money going?

 

[Larry]

I think the next logical step is for the CPCC to get a tax applied to the Cloud. After all, that is where music will be kept. To take their usual argument - since some people may illegally use the cloud to store music, then ALL the storage in the cloud should be taxed.

I can see their quote now: "Its 2015 .... who uses flash memory to copy music any longer".

 

[jem]

I think the CPCC should be lobbying for a tax on obstetricians. After all, the only reason people have babies is so the babies can copy music.

 

[expressmoria]

The same old argument as used for CDs somebody should talk calmly, firmly and publicly to these people and tell them that we the Great Canadian Public just won't go for any of these schemes and if they really, really want us to buy our media in the USA they could just ask politely.

Currently I buy all my blank CDs for the US.
Last time I was at Target I picked up 100 for $12.99 USD.

I will do the same for Flash media once this ruling is implemented.

With the US border so close and the Canadian Dollar at par or more these types of rules make absolute no sense.

 

[GusX]

Four out of Five Federal Parties Support Fair Compensation to Music Rights Holders

http://cpcc.ca/english/pdf/CPCC-201...r-Compensation-to-Music-Rights-Holders-EN.pdf

Lol, sucks for them that 1 out of five parties that is against their proposition is the one that won the elections.

 

[GusX]

The same old argument as used for CDs somebody should talk calmly, firmly and publicly to these people and tell them that we the Great Canadian Public just won't go for any of these schemes and if they really, really want us to buy our media in the USA they could just ask politely.

According to the CPCC, 70% of Canadians want this.

In a survey of 1,000 Canadians conducted earlier this year, over 70 percent agreed that artists
should be compensated when private copies are made of their music and a majority supported
a levy as high as $25 on MP3 players.

 

[NeilN]

Yeah, I want to see the questions on that survey.

 

[canada29]

RE

It sounds like another survey where they ask the opinions of a few people and then try to draw insane conclusions about the population at large.

 

[hugh]

I'd like to see all victims of intellectual property theft compensated too so that would put me in the 70% category. Having said that, this tax does nothing to achieve that goal.

 

[AmowAgou]

Why don't they make things simplier by charging hearing tax, say $1000 per ear per year?