Quote:
Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
I think Germany has a system like that. It's basically a tax on blank tapes, CDs, and recording machines. It's atrocious, because it doesn't address the problem. Instead it's a tax stream given to record companies. It's therefore approximately equivalent to handouts to farmers. It also is borne most heavily by those that least use the system, since it's essentially a flat tax. I have plenty of CD's that I legally purchases. I am permitted (so far as I can tell under the copyright laws) to make a mixed CD of songs I have purchased for my own use. I should not have to pay anyone to do that, having laid out $15 for the CD. Bilmore, with all of his illegal downloads, makes a CD and pays the same? That's fair.
BTW, to timmy Manfred. Don't bet on anthony powell. that's a sucker bet. take Michael Powell.
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Bit of a leap there from handouts to farmers to calculating how much is being downloaded and paying companies based on it. But no it isn't perfect, and I too have some real concerns about its viability. I said it was the best I have heard so far, perhaps someone will think of something better soon. Other than stopping file trading, because that simply isn't going to happen.
There either is or was proposed a tax like this in Canada, and it has some of the problems you mention. I don't think a flat tax across the board would work well, I think there would have to be a way to get around it say for bands who want to make their own cds, but I am not sure how that would work. That is one of the big problems, taxing people who have no intention of using the tapes and cds for anything illegal.
Here are some articles against the Canadian version.
http://www.ccfda.ca/subsections/eng_library.html
And no, it isn't fair, but presently no one is getting paid for it at all. And that isn't fair either. There has to be some way to balance the different interests. I think the best solution is to have something such as Apple has developed, many people will be willing to pay if it is easy to use and reasonably priced. Some people will never be willing to pay, and those are the people exchanging huge amounts of files.
And Bilmore, stop with the illegal filetrading, what kind of role model are you for your many children doing all that? Sheesh.
Speaking of timely,
http://www.napsterbits.com has come out with the 3rd episode in its series.
