Now, I didn't RTFA or anything, so let's go by the summary on slashdot. Apparently the Copyright Board of Canada is proposing a tax/surcharge on legally downloaded music to the tune (ha ha.) of 2 cents per mp3, with 1.5 cents extra for an album download. If passed, this would also be retroactively applied to EVERY legally bought mp3 since 1996.

 

I'm pretty sure this isn't something that has passed. It's just the Copyright Board looking to lobby government.

 

What I can't understand is their logic. It's a "Surcharge to compensate artists from losses to piracy."

 

WTF?

 

You bought the song you downloaded. You did not infringe on anyones copyrights. You did not commit piracy.

Why are they looking to extract money from you for it? They're comparing this to the levy paid (about 21 cents) to all blank media purchased (CDs, DVDs, audio cassettes) because they may be used to in the future to copy songs/etc onto it.

 

This further makes me go WTF. The blank media is the blank media. I can understand them taxing that, so long as they stfu afterwards about any use that cd or audio cassette is put to later. But the mp3s you legally downloaded aren't some rewritable blank media. You can copy it ONTO blank media but wait! A tax is already applied to those things. No double dipping please.

 

You can copy it onto your harddrive? Why the hell do you think it was BOUGHT.

 

Ok. I'm shutting up before I blow an artery in my forehead.

 

It's just frustrating to see obvious, blantant money grabs. I'm glad I don't go with legal downloads - I still buy CDs since I like having the physical package (Much like the reason I collect actual carts for retro consoles). Although with my self-imposed boycott of RIAA affiliated labels, even purchases for that have gone down. Luckily for me most of the bands I buy aren't RIAA affiliated. I'll miss not getting to listen to Nightwish's latest CD, but I'll survive. The real test will probably be when Disturbed releases their next CD. I may lower the boycott temporarily to buy it, but that'll depend on if Sony is the label or not. (Don't want malware ktkbye)