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Canadian Board approves iPod, memory tax

updated 11:55 am EDT, Fri July 20, 2007

Canadian iPod, memory tax

The Copyright Board of Canada has decided to allow a levy on iPods and removable memory that will tax Canadian citizens for their assumed transfer of copyrighted content. The Canadian Storage Media Alliance (CSMA) and Retail Council of Canada (RCC) challenged the levy, arguing that the Federal Court had already put to rest a previously proposed tax on digital audio recorders because the levy did not fall within the cited Copyright Act, according to one blogger. The CSMA and RCC contest that the board has no jurisdiction to approve the levy, but the board rejected pleas from the CSMA and RCC to do away with the new tax. The new tax is worded such that it may even include cellular phones and computers, which could extend to cover peer-to-peer downloading.

by MacNN Staff

(23)

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Eriamjh
Addicted to MacNN

Joined: Oct 2001

0

07/20, 12:07pm | report spam | close Reply |
Socialist A--holes

F*ck you, Canada.

defined tech
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2007

0

07/20, 12:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
Doesn't suprise me

I live in this wonderful country, and I think the last comment by eriamjh is a wrong. Who are you to say that f u canada.

Now as far as this new tax goes. Its very upsetting. They are basically saying that we are stealing music, and files.

mgpalma
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Joined: Sep 2000

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07/20, 12:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
Wow, that is fantastic

"that will tax Canadian citizens for their assumed transfer of copyrighted content." You just have to love being taxed on 'assumed' items! Sounds like having to pay a 'gas guzzler' tax on a car because it has the ability to consume more fuel. This is just as retarded. Even if you only drive the car for a 1,000 miles you still have to pay the 'penalty.' I just love combined taxes (consumption tax + whatever else we want to add tax).

mgpalma
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Joined: Sep 2000

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07/20, 12:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
ok let's be honest

We can disagree with a countries decisions or politics (like this is unique to Canada) without being rude to the country or it's people. The possibility of making poor choices is not unique to socialism, it's called being human. We ALL have agendas and we ALL do it.

jarod
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Joined: Apr 2005

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07/20, 01:11pm | report spam | close Reply |
I agree

Double F*CK you Canada. Socialist pieces of s*** beggars!

bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2002

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07/20, 01:19pm | report spam | close Reply |
So music shou be free...

...if downloaded to Canadian bought iPods or memory - may make a good defence for any lawsuits...?

In fact anyone could argue if they buy a Canadian iPod or memory that they have 'paid their dues'...

wr11
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Feb 2001

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07/20, 01:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
There is an advantage

Since we pay this TAX, since they assume we all steal content, then in some way we have paid for the right to copy said content.

MacnTX
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Joined: Apr 2004

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07/20, 01:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
It is what it is

Umm, sorry, but this is as socialist as it gets. And it is basically presuming everyone in the country is guilty of stealing music. That's a really nice government for ya. How anyone can defend any country for having a tax like this is beyond comprehension.

e:leaf
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Joined: Mar 2006

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07/20, 01:32pm | report spam | close Reply |
Although

I might agree that throwing out expletives towards Canada is pushing the line, let's not act as if there haven't been tons and tons and tons of bad things said about the USA in recent years.

Besides, this isn't just a Canadian issue. It sets a BAD precedent that could catch steam in other places. A tax which presumes one being guilty of theft is despicable and it, along with the governmental body which passed it, should not be defended in any way, and chastised in every way possible.

defined tech
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Joined: Jul 2007

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07/20, 01:32pm | report spam | close Reply |
Excellent Point

Wr11 - I agree with you totally.

As for Jarod, Grow up. There is no need for that kind of posting.

OtisWild
Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2005

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07/20, 01:53pm | report spam | close Reply |
cross border ftw

I wonder if they'll have RAM sniffing dogs at the Peace Bridge? Looks like the Buffalo-area electronics and computer stores better start hiring!!

Between that and the Loonie approaching parity with the US$, I'm thinking my friends upstate may have an easier time finding retail jobs ;)

MisterMe
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Joined: May 2007

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07/20, 02:13pm | report spam | close Reply |
Wrong name/wrong polics

Canada's actions are not socialist. Here, the Canadian Goverment is acting on behalf of corporate interests. The Government acting on behalf of corporate intestests is fascism, not socialism.

ender
Junior Member

Joined: Mar 1999

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07/20, 02:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
note to self

Next time you go to Canada, stock up on flash memory cards before you go to sell to oppressed Canadian citizens.

testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001

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07/20, 02:37pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: wrong name

Canada's actions are not socialist. Here, the Canadian Goverment is acting on behalf of corporate interests. The Government acting on behalf of corporate intestests is fascism, not socialism.

Good thing we don't have anything like that in the US! Oh, wait.....

And does this basically mean that since you're paying to 'steal' music, you can now legally 'steal' music in Canada???

Bouba
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Jan 2001

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07/20, 03:09pm | report spam | close Reply |
b�tard

Osti de bande d'attard�s de politiciens qui essaient de cr�er un �tat policier.. Assumed piracy.. what the h*** ?!?!

Innocent until proof of the contrary my eye.. and we even pay our cds more than in the states.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070630/CPARTS/70630026/6730/CPACTUALITES

it's in french but the numbers at the bottom of the article speak for themselves. We already pay 25-40% more on content (after exchange conversion), and they want to tax us even more?

It's in Canada where we produce lots of Oil, and yet, we import oil from other countries. We could be self-sufficient, but directors try to put more money into their pockets.

The cellular industry has the same issues... we're facing an oligopoly situation in which the different players keep the prices high.. in fact, they bill an average of 50% more than in the states for the same service.

And the iphone in canada? Forget about it.. they're not even close to a deal with an operator.. Apple want to offer unlimited download for 60$. A similar plan by Rogers would cost 295$ - that's 235$ more for something equivalent... and if the iphone is taxed because of memory, that'll be a major rip-off.

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2087/125/

I hope apple will be inspiring enough to initiate some changes in those fields.

trevj
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Joined: Dec 1999

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07/20, 04:05pm | report spam | close Reply |
Not so fast

The Copyright Board of Canada does not set the laws in this country. I don't have all the facts behind this story, but the decision to allow such a tax does not rest with the Copyright Board. They may have recommended such a move to the government, but I think everyone is flying off the handle a little too fast here without knowing all the facts. A tax cannot be set by anyone other than one of the three levels of government.

SubPop
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07/20, 04:41pm | report spam | close Reply |
legal music downloading.

The act of possessing pirated music has not been ruled illegal in Canada, and the government attempted to keep it that way by instituting the media tax the first time around. The laws are written such that distributing pirated material is illegal, but not possession or even solicitation of the content.

The Supreme Court of Canada also ruled a number of years ago (back when we had the "old" Napster) that offering a service to allow people to download copywrited content was akin to libraries keeping photocopiers available for people - offering the service was not illegal (as it was ruled to be in the States) and there has yet to be a lawsuit filed in Canada against a user of pirated music thanks, in part, to this ruling.

Sprocket
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Joined: May 2002

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07/20, 05:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
A black day indeed. . .

As a Canadian, I have to say this doesn't surprise me at all -- nor does it make me ahhpy at all at all. We have to recognize that the person whose fingerprints are all over this trainwreck legislation is Bev Oda, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women whose campaign is reputed to be financed by several of the major labels. She has had this in her sights now for a very long time.

So Jarod, you know S*** -- Harper isn't a Socialist -- he is a frickin' a-hole from the Moral Majority Right who wants to sell us (Canada) out to your Bush. Read a paper once and a while, will ya?

chadpengar
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Joined: Oct 2001

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07/21, 02:48am | report spam | close Reply |
not fasciscm

fascism is not governmental support for corporate control. Don't be stupid like RFK Jr. The American Heritage Dictionary (which RFK said he was citing) says "Fas�cism (f?sh'?z'?m) Pronunciation Key n. often Fascism -A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism. -A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government. Oppressive, dictatorial control."

bleee
Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Mar 2002

0

07/21, 03:01pm | report spam | close Reply |
Weird way of dealing

Being Canadian I can tell you we have a strange way of dealing with problems... for example our gun laws we have a registry for legal fire arms but the problem isn't LEGAL firearms it's the ILLEGAL ones that come in from the country south of us that's the problem... Thanks America....

As for the media tax... again another strange way to approach the problem... as long as your not buying storage by the shopping cart load it should be fine... do you need a new iPod every week? how about a new USB stick or Camera flash how many 4 gig SD cards can you fill?? with your camera? Although I will admit we the government has been know to pull bogus taxes out of their a$$... and Canadians bend over backwards for them...

This is the same for our drug laws Canadians can possess small amounts of marijuana but it is illegal to sell it. Go figure Canadian law for you *shrug*

On the other hand we don't invade countries bomb them into the ground and claim to be their saviours... just ribbing you America :-P

rdecourtney
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Joined: Jul 2007

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07/22, 12:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
i love it...

i love the fact we pay the tax, as that means they've assumed we're all downloading and the tax is meant to recover the cost of all the pirating that we do.. so.. that means I've paid the tax, so I can download anything I like.. just dont come after me if I do ;-)

Rick http://friends.ac

MuppetFloss
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2005

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07/23, 09:05am | report spam | close Reply |
How would you like it?

Socialist? I wish. A more socialist approach would be to reduce copyright terms to about 10 years, thus tipping the balance of power from MediaCorps back toward the public.

As 'wrong name' suggested, this kind of corporatism is essentially fascism. (Despite the American Heritage Dictionary.)

Whether you get screwed by the media tax up front, or you get screwed by the rear later, the same kind of corporatism/fascism informs both methods of s******* you over.

Overall, I agree with rdcourtney - since you already paid for the priviledge, get your money's worth and get file sharing. Your current challenge is to fill all storage devices of every imaginable kind with content you haven't purchased separately. That's what you're paying for. Go!

guzzi
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2006

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07/23, 01:09pm | report spam | close Reply |
Tax helps indrusty?

"Canada's actions are not socialist. Here, the Canadian Goverment is acting on behalf of corporate interests. The Government acting on behalf of corporate intestests is fascism, not socialism. "

Nothing against Canada - Thank you for John Candy, Dave Thomas the rest of SCTV! but...... Question? You're saying that the money the government collects go back to the recording industry or is it pumped in the the government treasury? How does that work?

When was a TAX ever abolished, hardly ever especially in a Socialist Nanny State form of government like Canada and England, taxes never go away, they just keep going up and up and up. ( I live in New Jersey)

A agree this TAX says we know you sheep will be stealing music and other content, so we're gonna make you pay up front. What about Podcasts (Free) and the music I own I do not steal music so why should I have to pay this tax..Remember the Boston Tea Party, but this time we should throw the crummy politicians in the drink who proposed this mess.

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Canadian Board approves iPod, memory tax

updated 11:55 am EDT, Fri July 20, 2007

Canadian iPod, memory tax

Socialist A--holes

Doesn't suprise me

Wow, that is fantastic

ok let's be honest

I agree

So music shou be free...

There is an advantage

It is what it is

Although

Excellent Point

cross border ftw

Wrong name/wrong polics

note to self

Re: wrong name

b�tard

Not so fast

legal music downloading.

A black day indeed. . .

not fasciscm

Weird way of dealing

i love it...

How would you like it?

Tax helps indrusty?

Login Here

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Canadian Board approves iPod, memory tax

updated 11:55 am EDT, Fri July 20, 2007

Canadian iPod, memory tax

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Socialist A--holes

Doesn't suprise me

Wow, that is fantastic

ok let's be honest

I agree

So music shou be free...

There is an advantage

It is what it is

Although

Excellent Point

cross border ftw

Wrong name/wrong polics

note to self

Re: wrong name

b�tard

Not so fast

legal music downloading.

A black day indeed. . .

not fasciscm

Weird way of dealing

i love it...

How would you like it?

Tax helps indrusty?

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

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