Jari Ketola
24 Nov 2000 12:42
Hewlett-Packard has been fined $1.60 for each computer it has sold in Germany since February 1998. The fine was set by the German courts for HP's shipping of hardware capable of recording music CDs.
German law imposes a levy on equipment capable of recording music at home. The levy is a small compensation for the losses caused by music piracy, and it is shared among the artists.
In future, HP will have to pay $5.40 for every machine it ships equiped with a device capable of recording music.
Source:
The Register