Something that is already reality in many other countries on the world, might soon also come to Australia as the Herald Sun reports that a blank CD and tape fee has been proposed by a coalition of copyright agencies from the music and performing arts industries. This would cause prices of CD and DVD recordable discs to raise and the money should compensate those stuck by copyright issues.
"The reason for it is that people do copy within the home, and increasingly so with CD burners and that sort of thing," Mr Lake said. "Most Australian houses that use a VCR, or a CD burner or DVD recordables, all of those living rooms are in fact in copyright infringement." |
Mr Lake said the coalition thought it was impossible to stop the practice of copying, so instead proposed to make the market place fairer for the producers of the original material. "Our view is if the consumers are offered the opportunity to do the right thing they will do so," he said.
If the legislation gets approval from the Government, the size of the levy would be established though a division of the Federal Court. "In most countries it hasn't been a significant hike," Mr Lake said.
Customers would have the option of signing a statutory declaration at the point of sale if they were intending to use the item for personal storage uses. But retailers have reacted angrily to the proposal saying it would add significant administrative costs.
More information can be found here. The tax on recordables could be up to 20%.
Source: Heraldsun.com.au
