You are here: silicon.com > Networks > WebWatch

WebWatch

Call to scrap levies on European music downloads

"A superfluous double tax on consumers," says BSA...

Tags: drm, bsa, music downloads

By Andy McCue

Published: 13 October 2005 16:10 GMT

European consumers are being forced to pay usage rights on legal copy-protected music downloads multiple times because of outdated private copy levies, according to anti-piracy group the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

The BSA has issued a report calling for the scrapping of these levies to coincide with a meeting of the European American Business Council in Brussels.

With DRM technology's expanding role in the market, levies have become a superfluous double tax on consumers.

-- Francisco Mingorance, director of public policy in Europe, BSA

The BSA argues that the rise in online content protected by digital rights management (DRM) technology makes the need for private copy levies obsolete. These levies were originally designed as a tax on people making private copies of tapes and CDs they had bought.

But online content is increasingly DRM-protected and this DRM-protected online content market is expected to rise from €235m last year to around €1.86bn in 2008. Under DRM things such as music downloads carry a royalty at the point of purchase.

Francisco Mingorance, director of public policy in Europe for the BSA, said in a statement: "With DRM technology's expanding role in the market, levies have become a superfluous double tax on consumers. Levies were designed to compensate for un-policeable private copying. But with DRMs the rationale for levies disappears."

These levies don't apply to the UK but the rest of Europe is also forced to pay for usage rights through taxes imposed on their PC and music playing equipment.

Mingorance said: "Lawmakers cannot ignore that private copy levies are increasingly obsolete in the digital age.

"Governments have an opportunity to bring real consumer benefits by applying the European Copyright Directive rules and phasing out the outdated levies system."

  1. Zones
  2. Management
  3. Networks
  4. Software
  5. IT Services
  6. Hardware
  1. Verticals
  2. Public Sector
  3. Financial Services
  4. Retail & Leisure
Read and write about internet access at the airports of the world at atlarge.com. Rate airports, and see what others have to say...

Natasha Lomas Exclusive: Jimmy Wales on what's next for Wikipedia Why Wikipedia needs geeks and why a life unplugged is unthinkable

Peter Cochrane Peter Cochrane's Blog: United breaks guitars? Customer service has changed forever


  • Jobs
CALLING ALL MUSIC LOVERS Lead Music Report Analyst

The Lead Music Reporting Analyst will be responsible for delivering good management information to enable the Music Reporting team to monitor and ...

Graduate Electronics Engineers with Audio / Music interests

Recent Electronics Engineering Graduates with Audio / Music interests ? Bright, motivated recent Electronics graduates with some Electronics design ...

Java Developer/Java Graduate/Music Industry/Relaxed Environment

Java developer/Java Graduate required for expanding Music Production Company. You will be a strong Java developer with a top degree in Computer ...

Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.





Quick Sitemap Links: