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iPod "Tax": Ministers Reiterate That No Means No

By Howard Knopf, Esq.

Ministers Clement and Moore said today:

?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."

 Here's the press release.

One wonders how many times the proponents of an iPod tax have to be told by the Courts (answer - twice - see here and here)  and Ministers (answer - several times). (disclosure - I was involved in these Court cases and argued against the levy/"tax")

Hopefully, the CPCC will "get it" now and move on.

This is no loss for musicians. whose maximum average payout as supposed beneficiaries of the Canadian private copying levy to date has been about $160 a year - and probably much less in most cases,

It is, however, a big loss for the lobbyists, lawyers, consultants, and others working directly for or with with the  CPCC  - which had expenses of over $3.5 million in 2009.

BTW, the Ministers figure of $75 is absolutely accurate, despite revisionist statements to the contrary. The last official proposal by CPCC  for an iPod "tax" for 2008-2009 at the Copyright Board was for $75 for a 30GB or more iPod.

Collectives can be useful in certain cases to solve failures in the market place and to reduce transaction costs, etc. However, there is nothing in the Charter of Rights, or even the Copyright Act, that guarantees a permanent existence to any particular collective.

HK

Full post as published by Excess Copyright on December 14, 2010 (boomark / email).