FC: Australia weighs taxing blank media: Writable CDs, DVDs, etc.

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Tue Feb 04 2003 - 12:49:47 PST

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    From: Stewart Maiden <maidenat_private>
    To: "'declanat_private'" <declanat_private>
    Subject: Politech: proposed blank media levy in Australia
    Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 07:40:38 +1100
    
    Declan,
    Australia's conservative (in all things but tax policy, where it is closer
    to tax-and-spend socialist) federal government has been slapping new taxes
    (called "levies") on us since it was elected in 1996.  Now the
    entertainment content industry is calling for a NEW levy to offset the
    losses it alleges it is suffering as a result of digital technology: on
    blank media.  It's not clear who the levy would be paid to.
    Fortunately, the Australian Consumers Authority has weighed into the debate
    seeking a bit of quid pro quo -- as a condition for the imposition of the
    levy, it seeks legislation protecting the right to copy for personal use,
    unable to be overridden by contract or licensing conditions, and
    authorisation for "circumvention devices" - the manufacture and sale of
    which are currently prohibited under the Copyright Act.
    The more things change, the more they stay the same - we had a similar
    debate in relation to audio / video tapes, from memory.
    Cheers
    Stewart 
    
    
    
    
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