Canadians going to get raped when buying recordable media.

[d4n13l]

Well, if you are Canadian and think that things couldnt get any worse, think again:

"A new Canadian levy will be introduced in 2003 on all recordable media (pdf). The magnitude of these tariffs is staggering: $1.23 for all CD-RW's, $2.27 on all DVD-R's, and get this: $21 for each gigabyte of storage on portable MP3 players. That's an extra 160 dollars for a Nomad. Like in the U.S., this tax is collected and given directly to the record industry, a governmental subsidy for no apparent societal benefit."
[taken from http://slashdot.org]

Poor Canadians; just when I thought that your taxes couldnt get any higher!

[AntnyMD]

Americans have paid this "tax" on blank cassettes ever since it became a mass medium for copying back in the late 1960s. Notice how the price of a single blank cassette, of even medium poor quality, still costs more than $1, while you can get a nameless, faceless blank CD when purchased in bulk for less than 30 cents.

Although I'm all for cheap media, theres no reason why it should cost the consumer essentially nothing for media. It not only encourages piracy, its practically demanding it.

[zzyzzx]

I really don't like it they they are assuming guilt. I think it enourages piracy. After all, you already paid the tax so why not? I think the record companies and movie studios are crybabies.

[shochan]

I can see why they are mad and all, but them themselves noticed tat when napster was mainstream that there sales actually went up. putting a tax on recordable media would make me want to just pirate it even more. think about it. the tax is there to help the poor record companies battle with their loses. well basicaly since I already bought the damn cd by paying the tax then i am surley not buying the damn cd now.

they are going to make even more money now. $1.23 x 100 cds = 123 dollars. of just tax and les say that you you only did make 2 audio cds. thats like $61 a freakin cd. **** that, they should tax the damn AUDIO cds not the DATA cds.

[leebo]

What are you Canadians complaining about, eh?

I don't think this "tax" goes far enough. I think there should be tax on ground beef, with the money going to McDonalds, because they lose profit on every barbeque party.

There should even be an Internet tax, with the money going to the postal service, because I'm writing this to you and not paying for a stamp.

And don't forget, Mariah could have been paid $16,000,000 to not make anymore records, if only we weren't downloading music!