Canadian "iPOD" Tax Ruled Illegal

[D1gger]

A proposed levy on digital music players that became known this summer as the "iPod tax" has been struck down after opponents argued it was unfair to Canadians.

The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that the Canadian Copyright Board did not have the right to put levies on new digital music players when it announced such fees would be allowed starting this year.

Link to Article

This would have been very bad news if it had been allowed, but it looks like we dodged a bullet .... at least for now.

 

[imported_Imp]

I never heard of that tax, but that sounds like one of the most retarded things ever dreamt up, even by record company standards. Oh well, I would probably never buy one anyways.

 

[maxster]

LOL

 

[JasonK]

My wedding in canada, i had to pay a tax on playing music at my wedding. It was the most retarded thing I had ever heard.

 

[Throckmorton]

Wait.. So the idea is that the Canadian government taxes you and hands over the money to the record companies, and then you're not breaking any laws by pirating right? Or does lobbying whatever barbaric version of congressmen they have up in the icy north mean that the recording industry gets to have its cake and eat it too?

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Wait.. So the idea is that the Canadian government taxes you and hands over the money to the record companies, and then you're not breaking any laws by pirating right? Or does lobbying whatever barbaric version of congressmen they have up in the icy north mean that the recording industry gets to have its cake and eat it too?

Here in the US, when you buy blank "music" CDs there's a piracy tax (record industry royalty) built into the cost. Blank cassettes had the same thing, IIRC.

 

[JasonK]

I dont think that ever went into affect. Just proposed.

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: JasonK
My wedding in canada, i had to pay a tax on playing music at my wedding. It was the most retarded thing I had ever heard.

Goods AND Services tax 😉.

 

[frostedflakes]

I'm pretty sure US has "piracy" (don't know what they're actually called) taxes built into blank media and DAPs, yet RIAA still managed to take plenty of people to court. I can't believe they were trying to go after up to $75 per player, though, that's absolutely ridiculous. I can handle the $1 or whatever it is on each Zune sold, but $75 is unacceptable.

 

[JasonK]

This organization that charged me a tax for playing music at a wedding:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOCAN

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I'm pretty sure US has "piracy" (don't know what they're actually called) taxes built into blank media and DAPs, yet RIAA still managed to take plenty of people to court. I can't believe they were trying to go after up to $75 per player, though, that's absolutely ridiculous. I can handle the $1 or whatever it is on each Zune sold, but $75 is unacceptable.

It's only on the "music" CDs, and not DAPs.
Wiki link