from press release issued today
Today, the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, issued the following statement from the Rideau Centre, a popular holiday shopping destination:
"We are here to confirm that the Harper Government will not bring in an iPod tax as part of its copyright legislation. The iPod Tax has been proposed and supported by all opposition parties.
"We simply cannot support the opposition's massive new iPod Tax on Canadian music lovers. The iPod Tax would add up to $75 to the price of every mp3 player and smart phone on the market. It would hurt the economy, punish consumers and families, and send the wrong message during this fragile economic recovery.
"Our government is committed to ensuring fairness and balance for consumers and creators as we update Canada's copyright laws. The opposition's iPod Tax is not fair to anyone. It would just make it more expensive for Canadians to listen to Canadian music and hurt our music industry.
"We would also like to emphasize that the Government has introduced the Copyright Modernization Act, Bill C-32, to modernize Canada's copyright legislation and bring it into the digital age. We drafted this Bill to best balance legalizing many of the everyday activities that Canadians are already engaging in online and ensuring that creators and rights holders have the protections they need to earn a living from their work in the digital age.
"Bill C-32 includes new rights and protections to enable creators to prosper in a digital environment and tough tools to help rights holders combat piracy. An iPod Tax would send the wrong message on piracy, drive up the price of the latest products for Canadian consumers, and tax a device that is much more than simply a music player.
"Canadians can rest assured that the Harper Government will stand with them against introducing this tax.
"Our government's top priority remains the economy. During this fragile economic recovery, the last thing Canadian families and consumers need is a massive new tax on iPods."