Join the largest consumer electronics community of the world! Register now and join 404,070 other members (1161 online now)
Belgium to increase taxes on CD-recordable media May 1st
Posted on 29/04/03 13:06 by Dennis
The move comes after a political debate in Belgium over whether free music downloads should be legalized, with the introduction taxes on rewritable CDs and hard drives to counterbalance the likely lower tax income from music CD sales. However, the Belgian government says the current measure is designed to compensate for copies made for personal use. |
The taxes are, of course, not intended to let people freely copy any CD they want to. The taxes only apply to people who want to make a copy of their original discs for personal use. You can read the complete Belgian article here.
Source: News.com
more cdfreaks.com news
4
19:02
6
18:24
8
04:00
2
08:22
6
05:50
20
05:47
5
05:20
Reactions
Discuss this article with your fellow community members! We appreciate your valuable input, but please keep the reaction policy in mind and make sure your reaction is constructive.
In Italy the price increased today; 0.23 euro cents per hour...
...and the reality is that the recording artists won't see a cent...it'll disappear into government coffers, it's just another excuse for the government to rip you off folks...giving you even more of an excuse to copy, rip and pirate like mad...
But Personal CD backup is allowed anyway - no extra tax is required for that, so really this is a sort of unofficial green light to copying in a way that is going beyond legal restrictions.
After all - how can they collect money for something, and then claim you havn't paid for it?
@gorskar
i'm afraid it's not intended that way, albeit this may seem so... the increased price is not in any way a *green light* to copying, at least not here in Italy - they stated it promptly and clearly 
one has to *simply* pay more and still has to comply to copyright law - Bingo! 
cash cow anyone?[edited by babaz on 29.04.2003 22:15]
what does it mean by will increase by 13 eruo cents per hour? Is that per hour of available burn time?@babaz
I realise this of course - but you can see how people might interpret this tax as such. How do you go about convicing your average joe that after hes paid his cd-copy tax that it is still wrong for him to copy?
I guess taking a tax for CD copying, and yet still wielding the law against copyers only makes sense to the music executives. Will these people never stop lusting after even more of your money?
I havn't bought a CD for a long time (but before you acuse me of piracy I havn't downloaded music for a long time either) The music thats coming out nowadays is just rubbish.So if one makes a hard drive back up, the recording industry (no longer called music industry since what they release is all but music) cashes in ?!?!?!
Where is the logic ?
There is none of course, they tell you've stolen others' property and you have to pay taxes for it... you pay them taxes before you've even burnt a thing...
Oh! and I'm a film director... I make VCDs of my home videos... how do I get my share of the tax as a multimedia producer...
Now, my favorite past-time is playing freesbee with my CDs... (thanks AOL for starting a passion 
) why should I get taxed ?
Better, I like Ball trap and shooting CD is easier and more fun than clay... all I need to do is see that silver disc fly and think of Britney's music and BAM!!! Bull's eyes each time.... Once again, why should I pay taxes for crap puppets that'll only get more money and incentive to release more crap!!!
Like the fab four used to sing:
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet
This is theft, pure and simple.
It makes me wanna .
Next time those so called politicians come to your door to vote for them, slam their fingers in the door and sue them for trespassing of private property.
Sorry guys, me feel just plain sick of those decisions which are in the interest of the corporate world only... you vote... and choke!
One positive bit (which will make your purchases cheaper, not easier): buy your CD-Rs in bulk from the cheapest countries of the European community, free trade is there, let's make them feel the competitivness of our less dumb/not-over-taxed-yet neighboors...
) why should I get taxed ?
Better, I like Ball trap and shooting CD is easier and more fun than clay... all I need to do is see that silver disc fly and think of Britney's music and BAM!!! Bull's eyes each time.... Once again, why should I pay taxes for crap puppets that'll only get more money and incentive to release more crap!!!
Like the fab four used to sing:
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet
This is theft, pure and simple.
It makes me wanna .
Next time those so called politicians come to your door to vote for them, slam their fingers in the door and sue them for trespassing of private property.
Sorry guys, me feel just plain sick of those decisions which are in the interest of the corporate world only... you vote... and choke!
One positive bit (which will make your purchases cheaper, not easier): buy your CD-Rs in bulk from the cheapest countries of the European community, free trade is there, let's make them feel the competitivness of our less dumb/not-over-taxed-yet neighboors...Top news
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Our Community messages
Happy Birthday to you jumpman23 
Crabbyappleton thank you for your reaction in the news section. 
gene_simmons just logged in, Good to see you back!