James Delahunty
22 Apr 2005 18:27
Some of the world's biggest manufacturers of MP3 players including Apple, Sony and Phillips are very angry over a proposed surcharge on mp3 players sold in the Netherlands which would compensate copyright holders for lost revenue due to copying for personal consumption. This is similar the charge on CD and DVD media in some countries. The Stichting Thuiskopie foundation collects surcharges on CDs and DVDs which it then distributes to copyright holders.
The foundation is now looking for a similar charge to cover m3 players also. However, the main difference is that some MP3 players store the mp3's on a hard disk drive and can hold big amounts of data. The proposed surcharge will be based on the amount of storage at €3.28 per gigabyte that a player offers. According to ICT Office, a Dutch trade association, this surcharge, expected to be introduced within two months, could increase the price in the Netherlands of an Apple iPod with 40 gigabytes of storage, for example, by more than €130.
Similar demands are being made in other countries also. There is also some opposition to fair use, with some proposals for new copyright laws that would make it illegal to rip a CDs audio to MP3, but it would remain legal to copy the CD itself for personal use. While consumers might see these charges as a nuisance, one French man benefited from a charge on blank DVD media. See that story here.
Source:
DMeurope.com